


Sandcastle of Forever

by maigozen



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Universe - NBA, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied-Kikasa, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Side-murahimu, implicit smut, rival team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maigozen/pseuds/maigozen
Summary: Kagami and Aomine are now in the NBA, one played for Chicago Bulls and the other played for Cleveland Cavaliers. Separated 344.3 miles away and still very cautious of coming out. They both have to choose a backstreet and a long distance relationship for about five years. But which one of them, exactly that can't face the change?
Relationships: Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga
Comments: 16
Kudos: 45





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Every character and event in this fic are all fictional or purely coincidental. Some of the things here might not be accurate, I have very few knowledge of the NBA and will took creative liberty in regard to it. 
> 
> This is very self-indulgent. The title was inspired by IU's Eight (feat. Suga of BTS). I advice you to listen to the song and read the lyrics too, it's very good. The author just wants to say, 'hi! How is my old fandom doing?' Feel free to drop a review, let's cry over aokaga together.
> 
> Warning: mild sexual implication and racism
> 
> Wattpad link if you want to see the cover: https://www.wattpad.com/story/224626659-sandcastle-of-forever

Aomine Daiki found himself in an indoor court he saw a few times on DVD when he was a kid. He faced other people of color, spoke fluently in a language he didn't think he could, and wore the same jersey as the people he used to look up to. He still felt the unfamiliarity, even to the most natural sport he played all his life. Even when the ball bounced from the tip of his fingers, slow and light--his feet moving like he's underwater, following his heartbeat.

Thump... thump... thump, _thump thump thumpthumpthump--_ he ran and ran and felt the ball moving as fast as his feet navigate and before he knew the ring is in front of him. He moved past men bigger than him and before they could grasp even an inch of the ball, he shot. Airborne, gravity-defying--until a hand shot up to smack the ball away. Before Aomine could blink, a blur of maroon snatched it. He's quick to follow when the other man ran past him with a breeze.

He exhaled, exhilarated. He caught up only to find sharp almond eyes and a playful smirk on pretty lips. Aomine gritted his teeth as he reached to take the ball back but Kagami Taiga moved away and jumped despite standing outside of the circle. He thought he saw an angel as Kagami jumped higher and higher, seemingly weightless. The hand that cup the ball swung inside the ring and--

the roaring of the crowd resonated with the referee who blew the whistle. Aomine's breath stuck in his throat every time he witnessed Kagami's trademark slam dunk. When Kagami looked back, Aomine found another reason to be breathless, when he saw his body shaking and breath stuttering. His beautiful red hair disarray, like fire.

Kagami answered Aomine's hooded eyes with no expression. But as he wiped the sweat on his philtrum, Aomine could see the small smile tugged on his lips. Aomine snorted lightly, gave a flirty wolfish smile as he went back to his position. Soon, the ball passed to Aomine's hands and Aomine tried to move faster than before. He ran away but never left Kagami out of his sight even as he passed the ball to his teammate. As he ran closer to the ring, he took the ball from his teammate's pass. Just in time for Kagami to stand in front of him.

"I'm going to win this time," Kagami said in English. He crouched and spread his body, guarding him.

"The game's not over, babe," Aomine answered in a low voice so nobody would hear them. "If I win you're treating me dinner." He said as he bounced the ball lightly, watching Kagami's eyes followed it. "So I can have you on the table until they kick us out, then we can continue at my place until morning."

He watched as Kagami opened his mouth with no words coming out, he looked up to give a scandalous yet amused face. Aomine used this time to charge pass and shot a layup. Kagami whipped his head fast as the crowd roared again.

"That's not fair!" he shouted. He stood up with hands on his hips, "I swear to god, Aomine, if they sit us out because you keep making innuendos mid-game..." he spoke low and serious, trying to intimidate.

"No they won't, I'm too valuable for that," Aomine retorted with a chuckle and a hand wave. He looked at his teammate who's the closest to them, Nate Jalen. "Right, Nate?"

The man who was drafted from the same university as he was, only averted his gaze and shook his head with a dry laugh. "Nah, I'm not gonna say anything, Daiki."

Aomine shrugged with crooked lips and raised brows, going 'see??' and noticed Kagami always looked endeared whenever he made a very American expression.

Kagami sighed and rolled his eyes, "please just don't do that again."

The referee called out and everyone started to take their position, "I'm not joking, though." Aomine crouched down. Kagami, who also took a position to guard him only raised a brow. "Stay until tomorrow."

"I--" the whistle blew again, Kagami sighed. "we'll talk later."

Aomine looked away briefly to see the ball moved pass from player to player, he shot a hand to signal he's available and he readied himself. He got the ball,

"Fine." He bolted.

.

* * *

.

"Not enough Mexican food here in Cleveland," Kagami muttered as he munch on his taco. Taco for dinner. That's all Kagami wanted, in downtown Cleveland half an hour away from the arena. Aomine half wished he lost so he could take him somewhere fancier but Kagami said 'it's fine, what's not fancy about chili con carne and some atole?'

Sometimes, Aomine wondered if Kagami ever allowed himself to spend the same lux as his Hidden Hills buddies. His brother seemed to demand high-end living and it amazed Aomine how Kagami never adopted it. Even when he moved to Japan in high school where he had to live alone in his dad's apartment. Aomine had never seen it filled with anything other than the smell of food that Kagami food wafted in the air, the very bare and wide living room occupied by Aomine who would watch TV or a basketball recap whenever he crashed in unannounced like a stray cat. Sometimes it's filled with Kagami's teammates after a well-earned match or Kuroko's birthday, the only other times Aomine was invited.

_this is why you love him,_ he thought to himself.

He always will. On Christmas, where Kagami's dad would only send him gifts from abroad. Aomine would ditch family dinner because Satsuki was enough to entertain his parents so instead, Aomine would accompany him until New Year's eve. Kagami never said anything but the dried tears in his eyes and the suffocating isolation of his apartment made Aomine wants to hold him every chance he got. Every year, it's the same confession at the tip of his tongue, a yearning he's cursed until Kagami decided to move back to America to pursue his basketball career further. Now that he's here, sitting in front of him, looking all the same yet changed from growth, Aomine knew he still has that same blooming feeling he had when he was in high school.

He wiped the sauce that smeared on Kagami's chipmunk cheeks. "Do you have to go back to Monroe tomorrow?" he asked casually.

"Yep. Home game with the Lakers, also I have an appointment with my physician, and Tatsuya's in town. I don't know what he's doing but it's been a while."

Aomine munched on a tortilla chip a looked out the window of the second story building. He tapped his foot impatiently, "Well _I_ haven't seen you in a while," he said in a steady voice. He probably sounded petulant too, but he didn't care.

Kagami looked up from his food and blinked a few times, "...but we've been playing against each other since early this year," he quietly said. "we'll have about three or four months of vacation after playoffs. Come on, Aomine, it's okay..."

Aomine turned to him, couldn't hold his frown and furrowed brows. "I know that!" Aomine swallowed, "why can't you stay when you had the chance? Besides, our matches aren't as often as you think. I can't enjoy the ones that aren't against you."

Kagami scoffed, "you can't be serious." Kagami kicked him under the table, "don't slack off when you're not playing against the Bulls!" He put down his food, "also it's not like we're always playing against each other before, Aomine."

"I'm not slacking off! Just that I'm more selfish when I'm playing against another team," he rolled his eyes and chowed down his quesadilla, "and let me tell you how much I'm still not used to cooperating with my teammates. Unlike Touou, they won't let me do my shit."

Kagami chuckled, "I literally followed your teammates on social media and has Nate and your coach's numbers to catch up with your schedule because you're also really bad at communicating. Though, I'll ignore that last bit where you implied you _do_ miss your high school teammates. You should contact them sometimes, I think I still have Wakamatsu-san's number--"

"Ah, hell no! Not him,"

"Why not?!" despite the incredulous look, he gave a playful smile.

"How do you even get his number, I don't want to know." Aomine sighed, slouching his back as he took a big bite. "Well, Nate, is okay. We are in the same boat. But I don't know about the rest of the guys, pretty sure they don't even know I'm bi. Also, is that why he keeps checking up on me? He's like Satsuki the second."

Kagami raised his mug and hid his smile, knowing that he even had his nutritionist's contact. He couldn't remember since when he's this immaculate over someone, "you won't cut your sugar intake and is always late to go to practice, no wonder they're a pain in the ass." Aomine scowled, adding sugar to his drink just to spite him. "Stop that," Kagami took the spoon from his grasp with a laugh.

Aomine watched as the milk in his mug swirled, looked up at a familiar face, aged with small wrinkles only visible from a few inch proximity. Taiga's eyes, which used to show fierce and stubborn determination, humbled down. He looked exhausted lately. Aomine probably aged himself, his hair a neatly trimmed and gelled back with an undercut since he's often on camera. Heck, he got a naughty stubble that grew twice a week despite always trimming them.

"Don't you miss me, Taiga? I sort of missed your cooking."

Kagami stopped frowning, "do you want me to send you frozen karaage? I can probably make them this Sunday after class."

Aomine closed his eyes and shook, "no, no... I just missed you a lot, okay. I missed you looking out for me and I missed looking out for you." He looked down and sighed, "We've been having this long-distance relationship for _five_ years."

"And we've been playing for three years of that relationship, do you want to stop?" Kagami half-whispered like he couldn't believe what he's asking.

Aomine wondered what he thought about the NBA when he was a child, wondering what exactly did his ten years old's creative mind come up with. No, he didn't think. He just wanted to feel. Back then it was so easy, to not even understand what he wanted as long as he could feel the thrills. In his bones, in the tips of his fingers as the ball bounced, could feel in his veins.

"No, of course not." He finalized. Kagami quirked his thick eyebrows in worry but nodded.

"You've gone through a lot, Daiki." Aomine swallowed, knowing the truth in Kagami's words. "Take a rest tomorrow. There's no game, right?"

Aomine furrowed his brows as Kagami finished his food. "N-no, I'm **fine** ," Kagami jolted in his seat, but only tilted his head. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you, but I'm probably gonna spend the whole day biking and watching Netflix anyway," he wiped his lips, "every time I worry about something it doesn't mean I'm... slipping."

"Oh, Of course, yeah. Sorry... I trust you," Kagami straighten his back as he wiped his fingers, nodding in earnest. "I know you've done so well. Sorry, I shouldn't assume."

Aomine wondered if this is why everybody loves Kagami, even the rest of the Generation of Miracles. Because once he cared about someone, he went all out. Kagami has tried to understand him, always tried to be there when he can. It's funny how he still couldn't have everything he wanted in life in the form of getting stuck six hours away from his boyfriend.

"This month, I'm gonna have to make time to see you, though."

"Really?" there's giddiness in Kagami's voice, and it made Aomine clench his fist. "But we're gonna be very busy," his voice trailed, smaller and more unsure as he saw the glare his boyfriend gave.

"Say that after I sneak into your apartment with a bed full of roses, a tub full of sea salt shit and roses too, giant heart-shaped chocolate, and a giant tiger-bear hybrid doll since I don't know which one do you prefer more..." Kagami snorted a laugh, his shoulders shook and the deep baritone laugh rolled out like ocean wave. "And you are going to see me with wine, not the cheap one. Definitely that _Chateau Lafite_ we had last year from our trip to Europe."

Kagami propped his chin on his open palm, taking his glass while rubbing his ankle inside Aomine's. "Hmm... you would definitely do that," he said in a low and raspy voice.

Aomine blinked, feeling the tip of Kagami's shoe trailing his calf. He widened his smile. "Hey, Taiga, let me make it up to you tonight. I made dinner unpleasant so--"

Kagami snorted, taking a sip of water, "I never said it was, Daiki..." Aomine chuckled and shook his head. He took Kagami's hand and intertwined their slightly greasy fingers, "I'm just happy we can talk. Isn't this why we always meet after a match?"

Aomine brought his hand and kiss Kagami's knuckles. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Well I still want to do something for you," he muttered to his skin, feeling the fingers under his lips twitched, "let me make you feel good... maybe we should have a drink after this... let me take you to a fancy bar," he opened his eyes now, watching Kagami through hooded gaze, he dropped his voice, caressed the heavy and calloused--hard-working, gentle, grounding-- hand on his cheek. "Anything you want."

Kagami watched his lips mouthing every tab of his fingers with flushed cheeks, despite years of going out. It made Aomine feel warm and grounded. Kagami looked him straight in the eyes, "let's go then," he whispered.


	2. two.

"Kiss me, kiss me," Kagami muttered as he tugs at Aomine's leather jacket. The morning wind blew as they stood at the hangar of the Bull's private jet. Aomine got a pass since some of the workers are Cavaliers' fans or maybe it's just because he's a stubborn yet charming asshole who won't take a no (he mayhaps bribed them a bit at the first few times he went there).

Aomine savored the small moment of Kagami being clingy and brave to do any sort of PDA in this morning. He knew, despite the small airport being almost empty, people could walk past two basketball players who are standing too close. Maybe one of them is a pap, or maybe one of them is just hungry for gossip. Either way, Aomine didn't care as much, not when Kagami's arm looped under his jacket, and his usually gruff exterior melted into something soft and pliant. Aomine put his sunglasses above his temple to kiss him in the lips, feeling his lover hummed. He wouldn't tease him today, not when he knew it'll take about another month or two until he could see Taiga again. If they ever got a chance to play.

"Call me when you finally arrived," he said after they parted.

"Will you be awake by then??"

Aomine rolled his eyes, "that's also for waking me up." They are far away from the scattering of Kagami's teammates, all loitering inside the waiting room, probably eating breakfast. Aomine could see a small plane flew closer and closer, the wind blew as it huffed its weight to the ground.

"You said you're going biking!" Kagami raised his voice to compete again with the small jet plane's rumble. Aomine shields him, feeling Kagami's nose hitting his chin.

"Well, I'm planning to sleep after thirty minutes of biking." He dropped his arm around Kagami's shoulder but lingered his fingers through jacket covered sleeves.

"You are unbelievable!" Kagami scoffed. They parted slowly, automatically after Kagami's teammates come out one by one, all lining up to get into the plane. Aomine put his sunglasses on again to shield his irritated look when someone yelled at Kagami.

Kagami moved back slowly, schooled his face as he raised his hand to wave. His eyes were searching what's under the tinted glasses, wondering if Aomine was glaring. He opened his mouth but no words come out. Aomine held his breath as Kagami started walking away, only to turned back and smiled apologetically.

.

* * *

.

When Kagami pick his older brother up from the airport, he wore designer shirts with a faux leather coat draped on his shoulders. Himuro Tatsuya was someone with a quiet exterior and zero physical resemblance to Taiga. He's a year older than him. He's taller than an average Japanese but Taiga and Daiki just towered over him. Straight raven hair a contrast to pale skin, with droopy eyes and a beauty spot accentuating the left eye. He wasn't blood-related that's for sure, but they grew up together. The only older brother when Taiga was struggling with the language barrier and finding a friend at such a young age. Kagami also noted the fact that at the time his mother struggled with cancer, Himuro struggled with the detachment of her own mother who no longer loves his father.

It still felt like yesterday when they played street ball in their neighborhood, met Alex one day, and played once only for her to take them under her care. Taught them everything they know about basketball and coddle them like her own son. They were fated to meet again in Japan after Taiga's mom finally sighed her last breath and Tatsuya's mom signed the divorce paper, moving out to nowhere with her new family. Now they both live far away, one in Chicago one in Paris. The only remains in L.A. are their old childhood bedrooms of their old homes where their dads retired. Another only reason for them to visit, is Alex. They have an odd combination for a family but Kagami never minded.

"Taiga, care to explain why it took you weeks to answer my calls when I wanted to meet up?" Taiga grinned at him, wrapped his arms around him. "You are lucky I can never get mad at you. But tell me, are you really that busy that you can't even call me? Do you even call your boyfriend every day?!"

"Nooo, I tried. It's just you're always contacting me when I'm currently not available--okay, yes, I'm busy. Can you blame me, it's gonna be peak season."

Himuro pushed his shoulders, trying to look at him. For once, his stoic face resolved into melancholy. He still looked the same as when he met him again in high school, still as handsome as a model even more now that he became one. "Can't be helped, huh?" his brother muttered to himself.

Kagami should have asked the same thing considering he's as busy as him, albeit with a very irregular schedule. He knew he's been flying around the world and attending multiple runways. "Well, are _you_ busy? I don't want to disturb your schedule or whatever you are doing here, Tatsuya."

Tatsuya waved a hand and took his arm to exit the airport. "Bro, I tried to tell you, this month I'm trying to slow down a bit. Thom Browne held an exhibition in Clark St. do you know where that is? And no, I'm not working, but I am going to see them."

"Sounds... fun, I guess. Yeah, I'll take where ever you want around town. God, I really missed you, you know." He looped his arm around his brother's shoulder despite the protest of how heavy he was. "How is Alex doing? How is your dad? For the record, I called my boyfriend almost every week and I did try to check up on social media, I know who's always up to date. It's just.... harder to hold a conversation when I don't even know what to say."

Himuro sighed, "always keeping it to himself, I see." The two-headed toward the parking lot. "Despite what you said, this is still isn't peak season but you already have games lining up your schedule even until the weekend, are you sure your coaches aren't milking you guys?"

"What are you talking about, if we're talking about who's really busy here, Kise is the busiest. Dude's a top model and an actor and now he's releasing his own single? yeah." They hopped on to Taiga's car and Himuro made himself comfortable on the passenger seat after he flung his suitcase to the back, ignoring Taiga's glare as the wheel hit the window.

"Well, I'm not overestimating you, Taiga. But sometimes... you could really take a break. You're teaching kids in the weekend, I can't imagine handling a bunch of middle-schoolers a day after a home game. I remember in university when you really went off contact with all of us until Aomine moved in."

Kagami shrugged, started the car, "it's fine as long as I enjoyed it."

Himuro sighed, taking a sip of his Starbucks, "of course, I'm happy for you. It must mean a lot to you to keep playing basketball."

Taiga only hummed in agreement and drove off. The afternoon rolled off like melted taffy, the bright baby blue stained with tangerine and dark violet. The semi-clear and wide highway road laid out in front of them like the horizon. "I mean I've wanted this, sort of."

They were quiet for a while until Himuro quipped, "...handling kids?"

Kagami spluttered and almost hit his forehead on the car wheel, "Well, no--I didn't think about that one, but it's fine. It's my first job before I got drafted. Also, I've been accompanying Kuroko when he part-timed in the daycare when we're in high school so..."

"So you suddenly realized you love kids." Kagami could see a shit-eating grin from the corner of his eyes.

Kagami made a guttural sound deep in his throat. "When you say it like that it's hella weird. I love seeing them so passionate about it. So, I can't just stop."

"Attached to a few of them?"

"I... sort of," somehow the statement made him flustered. He never saw himself as a kid loving-guy. There are guys who are better than him, like Kuroko or Kasamatsu. Even Aomine did a better job of handling kids. Also, these sorts of conversations are what he often avoided by his family. "Why are we even talking about this?"

Himuro chuckled, looking away, "nothing. I'm just proud of you, that's all. You always grow yet you keep that passion of yours since you were a kid. Not many adults have the privilege to do so."

Kagami drooped his tensed shoulders, feeling starlit in the pitch of his stomach, all warm and throbbing like coal. "Thanks. It's because of you, you know." He mumbled.

He didn't know what expression Himuro made but he could see a wide smile when he spoke, "Didn't expect you'd pursue it further, but I'm glad I took you to play that day. Also, you were such a lost kid, I can't help but feel sad. I can still see it clearly, a slightly chubby, barely spoke English little boy, looking lost around the neighborhood. Nervously trying not to get caught by his nanny."

Kagami rolled his eyes. "Stop that..."

"You're still cute, now. Don't worry." Kagami groaned in embarrassment but his brother ignored and propped his legs on the dashboard. "So, how is Aomine?"

Kagami hummed as he swerved a U-turn, the traffic was a bit crowded but Kagami didn't expect traffic jam until around six pm, hopefully after they reached Taiga's apartment. "He's fine. We just had a match in Cleveland yesterday night. I took him to dinner, he said he missed my cooking, though."

Himuro didn't respond immediately, only staring at his brother's face. "Cavaliers have been on a roll after he joined." He muttered.

Kagami smiled wide, "oh, yeah, he's amazing. He always is. We actually made a bet yesterday, he won so, that's why I treated him dinner. He said he half wanted to lose cause I just took him to eat tacos. He's been trying to be extra romantic and clingy lately."

"Did he miss anniversary?"

"We don't really celebrate that."

"Then why??"

"...Dunno. It's that time of the year, I guess."

"What does that even mean," Himuro huffed a laugh. He fiddled with the radio, settling to play something out of the top 50 Billboard. "You know, I talked to him a week ago on our private. He said he's been asking their manager if they can add banana milk in their vending machine and considering buying skittles machine and a froyo one. So, I quote: " _every time we won, we could celebrate by going high on sugar._ "

"God, what is wrong with him," Kagami muttered quietly, slowing down to a red light. "One time I asked him to bond more with his teammates, he did it in the most chaotic way.

"Oh, he's been on a roll alright. I think he was excited cause it's been two months since you two have a match. Honestly, Aomine-kun mellowed down a lot since high school, but I didn't think he could be _that_ cute."

"Cute?!" Kagami barked a laugh. He gestured for Himuro's already cold coffee, took a sip and grimaced at the flavor.

Himuro chuckled beside him, "he is, I might think he's warming up on me even though he always gave me the stink eye. I can't wait to see you guys together again, to be honest." Kagami's laugh died down and he tilted his head, with a questioning look. Himuro smiled wide, his dopey eyes dropped, "Taiga, I guess I can tell you now... but I'm proposing to Atsushi."

"Whoa, what??" Kagami gasped, leaning close to see if his brother isn't joking. "C-congrats!"

"Mmhmm..." Himuro has always been really good at keeping his composure, despite the bamboozled look Taiga sending him. "After his restaurant settled in, we're gonna fly to L.A. for the ceremony. I want you to be the first to know this because I'm gonna need you to be my best man, obviously."

Kagami's mouth opened and closed, he's looking around like a lost kid and Himuro snickered. A car honked at them and Kagami swore. " _Fuck!_ " he swore as a car honked at them. Kagami scrambled for his stirring wheel, "yeah, of course. I'm so honored. When did you figure it out?"

Himuro straightened his back. "All my life, Taiga. After we're together, I thought I can't be with anyone other than him."

Taiga's heart slowed down as they drove back to the open road. He wondered aloud, "...isn't it going to affect your job?"

"Not really, I've thought about retiring and starting my own clothing line. I've told you this, though I never told you when exactly." Kagami nodded. "I love modeling but I've made it part of my... road map that I need to settle down at some point."

"That's great, I'll always support you..." Kagami turned briefly to shot a smile.

Himuro folded his arms, though he didn't look offended, "I can hear a _but._ "

Kagami raised his brows, "n-no, no, not a but, just--nothing, I'm honestly happy. I was surprised, that's all."

Himuro sighed but there is fondness in his voice, "you're not gonna be like this if one by one all of us are getting married or something, right?"

"No! And what does that even mean, Tatsuya..." He could feel a sigh urging to escape.

"Okay... I'm just looking out for you. You've worked really hard to get to where you are but you need to know when to change your pace. That's how life is, there are always things you'll look forward too and I'm telling you to quit basketball but..." His brother put his feet down, straightening his back. "You think I don't know about the BFR incident? I had to pry that info from your best friend when you canceled our plan for Alex's birthday."

"Kuroko Tetsuya..." he sighed in exasperation. "It's nothing, It was months ago and I did try to make up for Alex. I was dumb for thinking I could do it. Besides, it got better. Didn't really affect my game."

They were close to Kagami's apartment complex, when Himuro carefully asked, "did Aomine know?"

"...no. It's a long story, so I can't really say anything. He only knows I canceled the plan because I got flu. Don't look at me like that," Kagami frowned despite Himuro's innocent blink, "I know I honestly feel really guilty for lying to my own boyfriend, for fuck's sake. If you want to hear something better, the kids cheered me up when I came to class with a crutch, though."

Himuro widened his smile and cooed, "that must be a calling, dad."

"That ain't mean _shit!_ "

Himuro laughed aloud, kept teasing him even until he was making himself comfortable in Kagami's apartment, tossing his clothes all over Kagami's floor like the same heathen that raised him (Alex raised him too, but Kagami expected better from himself). They video-called said heathen later on as they ate deep dish pizza take out. Kagami savored this moment, from Alex's melodic voice that frazzled through his shitty outdated laptop, to the snorty laughter Himuro shared that hadn't changed since he was young, to the clingy and teasing texts Aomine sent to him like he tried to join the small party they accidentally made.

" _Tell that brother of yours I'm almost closer to getting the Skittles vending machine._ "

"Why are you like this, Ahomineee..." Kagami moaned from his sprawled position on the couch. Himuro shot him a dirty look from across the room, sitting cross=legged as he played Overwatch from Kagami's barely used Playstation. "He said he's reflecting himself and taking back the idea of buying a Skittles machine," he told him instead.

"Tell him I'm fully against that." Kagami swatted his brother's wandering hand as he bolted from his seat to reach for his phone. "Buy that Skittles machine, Aomine!"

Kagami plugged his ears from the loud voice, glancing annoyingly at the roaring laughter his boyfriend made from the other side. "You two are so infuriating! Bring back the time when you two are at each other's throat."

"He's my gaming buddy now, it's your fault you are so bad at video games."

" _Yeah, Taiga, you don't even know memes."_

"I--I know memes. You send them to me. Every freaking day." Kagami defensively said.

"Okay, but why is it ineffective, then?" his brother quipped.

"What does that even mean??"

" _He's dense. He's a rare breed of millennial, he has that conservative boomer heart so it's no use making him see through our way of having fun."_

"Buying Skittles machine and making your manager and nutritionist's life more difficult is not fun." Taiga gritted his teeth.

" _Bet with me nobody would give a fuck. Despite my complaints, they are pretty chill here."_

"That's because you're their ace!"

" _Exactly."_

_"_ Oh my god..." he muttered with a sigh, throwing his phone on the coffee table. He ignored the rambunctious laugh resounded from the small device.

_"_ See, I can see how you two complement each other but I can also see why it's unproductive to put you two in the same room--oh, fuck."

They really couldn't blame him if he pushed his brother off the couch. He could hear Aomine laugh very hard, despite the previous bickering. He knew he could never get mad at the little shit. Kagami listened to the usual flat and deep tone chuckles turned into a roar of high pitch laugh. It reminded him of a bottomless navy ocean that bloomed to a vibrant shade of blue.


	3. three.

It wasn't personal. Kagami saw that. Or at least to some degree. It's just that, in basketball, every other team is your rival. Cavaliers and Bulls had a history, it could be large but it could also be small.

Particularly, his coach was an ex-Cavaliers coach. Kagami wondered if there's a personal grudge going on with the management but he's not one to ask for a spilled tea. At least not until coach Jake Tucker's mouth kept spouting his boyfriend's name.

Daiki Aomine this, Daiki Aomine that. Kagami was sure Aomine didn't have a personal beef with said ex-coach, but he knew that Daiki's reputation spread like wildfire in the basketball world. He became a prime example for all the rookies, became a form of intimidation to the veterans, albeit a bit alienated for various reasons.

It was always like that since high school. Something Kagami realized belatedly. Sometimes, some people are just not a team-centric player. Aomine had always been individualistic, an exact opposite of Kagami who build his morale and growth because of his team's encouragement and chemistry. It made him amazed, how he could touch the untouchable, but at the same time, it was no wonder they are some kind of eternal rival.

Kagami realized, though, that this rivalry made it hard for him to touch Aomine. To protect him from people who talk shit about him behind his back, to hold him when he was faced with the same way people treated him.

_Some Asian kid just did a wild layup, something you could have done. He's not better than you, you are all just a bunch of slack offs_. _He beat you at school, I don't want to see you fail at basketball too._ Yeah, the words never sit well with Taiga, especially when it ironically was directed at him.

"Aren't you like him? Where is my Japanese miracle, here??" he once yelled.

Kagami remembered it like yesterday. They were trying a new regime and Kagami realized it wasn't normal to do a blood flow restriction for four times a week. But Kagami never wanted to back down, a part of him probably wanted to see if he could make it. He was nervous but the words that spilled from his coach's mouth dampened his mood and affected the way he performed. The strain of his muscle was like a snap of a guitar string. After that, the cold piercing needle-like pain clogged every inch of his right leg.

His coach didn't say anything, though. Just let the medics took him somewhere to get treated and iced. Kagami has always felt distant to the middle-aged man, he could only let his teammates pat him sympathetically. Later on, they told him how coach Jake didn't voluntarily move out of the Cavaliers, he was kicked out from harassing a player probably a few months right before Aomine entered. Because his boyfriend was as clueless as him. It sucked that Kagami just found out about it now when it's still a few months after the playoffs are done, but he accepted it as part of the ups and downs of his career.

Kagami didn't want to tell Aomine anything because Aomine would do something very impulsive. Which was no overstatement considering he had a past history of getting into fights because of the slurs thrown at him. Not to mention, it was in his first year of living in the states, a country he had never been to. Kagami was impressed but he has lived his life facing the same backlash with Tatsuya and has made it default to stay in his own safe space instead of taking the bait.

Though, Kagami remembered staying up late to video call his boyfriend. He listened to him ramble about his day, talked about nothing and everything, touched himself as Aomine did the same. He moaned to the ghost of Aomine's imaginary hands and lips. He rode the high of climax and yelped when it strained his recovering muscle. Aomine didn't notice, not when he was stuttering filthy words and garbled version of his name before he came.

"I wish I was there with you," Aomine whispered in Japanese, hoarse and exhausted. Kagami felt his heart heavy and sinking.

"Me too."

.

* * *

.

Strolling through Aurora Farms' store blocks, Aomine walked pass well known fast fashion brands to go straight to a Nike factory store. He put on his sunglasses and smiled as he notified how the street is a bit more quiet than usual. The light windy breeze swept his soft navy colored hair.

He was in an awfully good mood today. He knew why, because Taiga woke him up with a notification that he sent a box of homemade frozen karaage to him despite knowing that Taiga had prepared them few days prior and spend his evening packing for him and sending them to his address. It made him feel spoiled when he could just order one online knowing his boyfriend just finished having a match and was probably busy with other errands. So, he wanted to send him something back. Well, some _things._

He saw a black man stood beside a street lamp with a dress shirt and a knitted vest, designer watch and a sunglasses perch on his forehead as he squinted at his phone. "Am I late?"

Instead of reading the time on his phone, he turned the screen off and shrug his sleeves to look at his watch. Aomine rolled his eyes as he said, "nope. I'm just a little bit early. My wife dropped me off early because of an appointment."

"Oh... let's go, then."

"Man, this is the third time you've been here, Daiki. How many shoes are you gonna stock?" the two tall men walk side by side, casually answered the staff's greetings. Daiki for one, immediately went to the new arrival. He perched his sunglasses on his forehead as he took a shoe. A white with teal accents high top air pump sneakers and imagined Taiga in it. He thought about how it snugged his pretty ankles very well. He thought about putting them on and nothing else. He didn't peg Taiga to wear a softer palette but he could try. It would look so good with skinny fit denim. Maybe Taiga could get a new pair of jeans? The shredded ones are in season. He had tried them himself, loved how flustered Taiga get when he saw Daiki's ass and the slivers of thigh skin—

"Earth to Daiki," his teammate snickered at his face and Daiki dropped the shoes. "Man, will you be like this every time we see new shoes?"

Daiki walked pass him to circle the display, picking up another pair of sneakers, this time a low top dominated in deep burgundy. He tilted his head and sucked a breath, "oh, you don't know how much I'm into these." He absentmindedly weighed the shoes, muttering, "though, I'm always like this since high school. I was a huge sneakerhead I have like a whole wall of display for those shoes and I tend to buy double if I like the design." He smirked. Nate whistled and sat on a bench for people to fit shoes. Daiki continued, "did you know that I first got a crush on him after I gave him my shoes?"

Daiki could remember it like the back of his hand, where Taiga had to search multiple sports shop in Tokyo just to find the one that fit his size. Kuroko had called Momoi to bring his shoes. Without Daiki's consent nonetheless. But when he saw Seirin's ace with a defeated puppy frown lit up as he saw the shoe design, Daiki felt a twinge of something fluttering in the pit of his tummy. He challenged him on a one-on-one to get the shoes, wondering how this basketball idiot didn't even think about having spare shoes.

It's even more endearing when he looked sad when he lost. Daiki let him have the shoes because he did have another pair with similar design. After that Taiga had try to reach out to him to repay and Daiki just indulged himself with the attention, started going on regular one-on-ones, treating dinner at Maji Burger, and invading Kagami's big-ass apartment. Something like a frenemy and a little bit more.

"Man, how do you guys even resist having long-distance relationship this long?"

Daiki, who had paid for both shoes and several others and was now taking Nate in and out of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Coach shops just to buy stuff that Nate himself knew Daiki didn't need, just shrugged. Nate pointedly looked at his shopping bags and Daiki sighed, waving his free hand.

"Have you ever been in a long-distance relationship before?" He propped his sunglasses on as the sun set high as the day went on, "It's like an impulse when you just can't be physically there for them. Also, I've been lowkey sugar daddy-ing him since high school, even though back then it was my parents' money."

"Headass!" Nate cackled. The two loaded their stuff to Daiki's back seat, and Nate propped himself on the seat beside Daiki.

"I'm not kidding. He used to live alone in his apartment where his dad was supposed to live with him, and I sort of prefer roaming around Tokyo. You know how I am." Daiki explained, feeling particularly chatty. The talked about mundane things and listened to Daiki's ridiculous playlist of 90s Japanese citypop, until they stopped for a red light.

Daiki sighed, turned to his passenger. "But sometimes, I'm not in the mood to explore, you know?"

Nate nodded slowly, "We're getting old. You're five years younger than me but someday you'll be like me."

Daiki dropped his gaze and smile, "I don't need five more years to realize that." He continued as the light turned green. "But I also don't know when, Nate. Do you even know? Do all of us even know? We just _play_ basketball."

Nate tsk-ed and shook his head, "you, my friend, is making a history. We don't just play. What, you thinking of quitting."

Daiki grimaced at the phrase again, "n-no." He clenched his jaw, glancing from the rear view mirror where his shopping bags shook from the car's vibration. "I've went through something similar to that, not gonna go back to that. But I want him to know he means a lot to me, Nate."

Nate looked straight ahead, musing what he wanted to say. "More than basketball?"

Daiki blinked. The question felt so simple but heavy on his tongue. Daiki didn't even know which answer he chose. It felt so vague and detached, yet his mind kept calling him to come closer, like a siren luring him to drown his boat.

"Can you wait for one more shop? I forgot something."

Nate only shrugged, "but you're buying me coffee afterwards."

.

* * *

.

"Here. Use me."

The employee looked so confused. Daiki bit his lips as he shoved his hand, pointedly at the young employee's face. She seemed young, barely graduated from college and maybe she's new. "Oh, you mean to measure you, I'm so sorry let me... let me get a string."

He shoved his hands back to his pocket, looking around feeling a bit out of place. He didn't think he would go to this place anytime soon but as Nate watched from the display window, he thought, maybe it's the right time.

"Nate was walking around looking through the display, whistling to himself. "Ten grams for 551, yet a tacky design."

"You gonna buy them?"

The man turned to him with a crooked smile, something glistening on his dark brown wrist. "Maybe, gotta give my baby something for our anniversary next month." Aomine looked down, the previous embarrassment evaporated the same time as the determination that elicited. "Wait, Daiki, does he know?"

Aomine opened his mouth but decided to tilt his head, he drawled, "Aah, no, actually. I wasn't planning on buying them in the first place." He looked at his friend, "but I have a feeling that it's fine. Sooner or later I have to tell him."

Nate only nodded in approval, "alright, then. But you at least gotta tell him, man. Make it as clear as the day."

Aomine sighed and waved his hand in agreement. The female employee came with some samples and a measuring stick. Aomine walked closer, "can you customize them?"

"Of course, got a design in mind?"

"Can you carve it to look like the front of a burger? Make it a little bit more flat so it's comfortable. Oh, and I don't want to add crystal or diamond."

The staff who was in the middle of measuring his fingers glanced up and stared hard. She smiled nervously from the close contact, her cheeks blushed. "What a peculiar lover you have."

Aomine gave a ghost of a smile, eyes zoning out at the designs of each body of the rings in the sample, "he is."

The staff didn't immediately match the measurement and Aomine raised a brow. Only to have her jolted, giving a wide nervous smile, "I hope everything goes well, Mr. Aomine. Should we carve a name for each ring?"

"You should. You can use initial, too. Who's taking the surname?" Nate joined in after he watched the short exchange.

"Didn't think about that one."

"Then just use initials, or your first names." He took one of the samples, a simple golden band with no carving and beads adorned on them.

"Hmmm... would it be funny if we use, 'Tai' and 'Dai'?"

Nate grinned, "go crazy!"

.

* * *

.

Something didn't add up.

It wasn't a harsh regime this time. It wasn't an abusive coach. It was everything. It was because he let them happen. Kagami didn't realize their coach's mood was still sour for weeks. Taiga pushed himself and pushed himself. He tackled bigger guys since he was young, it wasn't new. Taiga didn't know how late he spend the day just jumping. Trying to reach higher and higher and higher.

"Until I can see your bones jutting out of your limbs, I want you to never stop. _Never_ **ever** stop, you hear me?"

"Faster, Kagami, faster! Move that slow legs of yours!"

Kagami closed his eyes as he gasped. The stung on his right leg... oh, he had a bad landing. Later after looked down nervously when he sat on the locker room bench, massaging it quietly. The room was filled His phone beeped indicating the time and he stood up, ignoring the look some of his teammates gave him. He took a shower, could finally feel the exhaustion washing over him when he changed to a set of fresh clothes.

"Going home, Taiga?" someone asked from behind him.

"Yeah, I'm beat." He answered as he slung his duffel bag. He jogged down the stairs to the parking lot, wincing at the slight sting. He needed to get it iced. He didn't feel like eating just treating his foot that slowly swells. He couldn't even stay up to wait for Daiki's call as sleep enveloped him in its embrace.

.

* * *

.

"Oh, so they are postponing any school activities until the renovation is over? So is the gym?" Kagami sipped his morning coffee as the manager, Matt Harvey nodded and pat his shoulder.

"Yep. You can rest or go home sooner after they sign the attendance, coach. Don't worry, they're in good hands." Kagami blinked, feeling a bit bare. The morning was particularly crisp and the breeze from the gymnasium's window could probably make him doze off. But because of the hectic week, Kagami felt a bit restless. His chest lighter than ever. A student walked up to him with a ball propped to his hips.

"Coach Kagami!"

"Takashi! Not going home?"

"Nah, me and the rest of the guys are gonna try dunking. You gonna stay or not?" he juggled the ball from one hand to the other. Kagami watched from afar, a few male students dragging something from the storage room. He furrowed his burrowed as something flat and round with legs were positioned a few feet from the ring. A thin gym mat propped right in front of it.

"Is that...?"

"A trampoline, yeah. We're gonna try your meteor jam, coach!" Kagami opened his mouth to stop him but the young player ran as one of their friends shouted his name. "Wait for me, guys!"

Kagami walked closer to them. "Be careful, this is dangerous. Add another mat, this is too thin--" Takashi jumped on the trampoline, ignoring his words, and swoop the ball to the ring. He dangled slightly until he landed to the gym mat. The others cheered and readied themselves to followed suit.

Kagami motioned to the young boy to get another mat. He sighed but didn't move from where he stood. He didn't know since when he got so cautious of things, despite trying out harder stunts, like flipping mid-air before a dunk, but folded his arms with a half frown. Didn't want to worry too much and dampen his students' mood.

"Charlie, one at a time, one at a time!"

One of the boys, Charlie, ran from across the room another student who was smaller and shorter than him dangle precociously on the high basketball ring. He seemed frighten by the height and Kagami already had his arms wide as walk closer, "go on, it's okay--" from the corner of his eyes, before he could stop him, Charlie launched himself from the trampoline, making him yell. "No, wait--"

The scream echoed through the gymnasium as fast as his body, crushed between two middle school students. The pain shot as he crouched down, everybody crowding him in seconds. Kagami swiftly sat on the floor and held his right leg's ankle, wincing and groaning quietly.

He could hear his students talking at once. Charlie profusely apologizing, Takashi yelling in panic, a few others running away, probably trying to find other teacher. Matt already crouched down in front of him, holding his leg, saying something about straightening it and Kagami...

Kagami taking it all in but also losing himself. His mind didn't think about his leg, not when his mind wonder, how long will it recover? How long until the next match? Would Daiki be disappointed if he found out?

No, he would never. Taiga would make sure of it.

Even so, the thought alone only made Taiga's heart plunge further.


	4. four.

_"And now, stand up, make some noise for the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers...! Louder...!"_

Aomine could never get tired of going to an NBA arena. It's a weird contradiction for his introvert self but the crowd, the utter raw adrenaline pumped people surrounding the arena like the gladiator. It's oddly grounding. It made him feel right. Funny enough, it's akin to his old catchphrase, ' _the only one who can beat me is me'_. Not because of arrogance. But because he knew, on a profound level, he was meant to be in this spotlight. He was meant to embody the game.

Sometimes he missed Japan, where the stadiums were spacious and grand, the crowd was more subdued yet still very supportive. The familiar faces that made him feel at home. But now he's a bird who fought his way out of the egg that was the world. So here, in the United Center Arena in Chicago, where the abundance of crowd spilling inside the arena, famous people loitering around on folded metal chairs, and his teammates huddling awkwardly at the edge of the court, became another place for Daiki to break another shell.

" _Number 5, 6'9", our beloved power forward, Cal's Panther of the East, Daiki Aomine!"_

He did the high five tunnel, grinning wildly at Nate who was standing at the end of the line. He shook his hand as Nate elbowed him and pat his arm with vigor, "looking good, man!"

"Got a good feeling about today,"

Nate snickered as he sat beside him, "I can see that, we're gonna face the Bulls again."

Aomine bit his lips to hold a smile. He couldn't believe they have another game with the bulls in about a month and a half after he saw him. He probably should have memorized their playoff schedule just like Taiga did but he often had people to remind him that. Which was a bit odd that Taiga hadn't reminded him a few days before the game but Daiki was too excited to ask. Maybe he thought someone already told him and for once wanted to teach Daiki to not depend on him when it came to time management.

He let his teammates pushed him to their little circle, rapid breaths mingling as they yelled their team's name. Later Aomine sat on his bench, watching as more people, as impossible as it seemed, came in to watch. Cameras floating everywhere from their TV partners. Some took a glimpse of him, took a glimpse of his teammates, took a glimpse of the crowd, took a glimpse of the rival team that is starting to enter the arena.

" _And now, for our beloved home team, Chicago... Bulls...! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our starting line-up. He's fast, he's big, he's going for the kill—"_

Aomine mouthed the way the public address announcer talked, " _number 8, point guard, 6'10", Arizona, Hugo Morrison."_

_"next is number 10, 6'8"—"_ Daiki probably looked like a dog with imaginary ears twitching, but watched as Kagami strolled inside the court albeit with less enthusiasm. Aomine stood up just in time for him to turn and looked at him. He smiled, satisfied when Kagami smiled back, and waved. Aomine pointed at him and motioned a throat cut while Kagami rolled his eyes, flipping him off.

As the game started, Aomine found himself hyper-aware of his lover. He couldn't hide the smile from his face, and made his teammates gave him weird looks. The formation changed and they didn't face each other off but Aomine found himself moving to the same rhythm. Kagami would eventually catch up to him. It's always like that, it's what they do.

The game started in a faster pace, so Aomine didn't have time to interact with Kagami at all. The Bulls scored an 8 in the first quarter and made his teammates queasy. He knew the Bulls has better older players and so far, from their history, they always scored more. But Aomine knew their rookies ain't that bad either. So far, they had a better set of starters than the years prior.

A horn blared right as the first quarter ended and Bulls' coach was pointing at Kagami. Aomine was across the court, just shuffling around as his teammates crouched and huddled, he caught Nate look at him with equal curiosity. As the second quarter started Aomine furrowed his brows and frowned.

Kagami was benched. He sat along with other bench players. So Aomine walked to the middle of the court, despite the player he supposed to guard standing up with hands thrown up in annoyance.

"Nani shiteru no?" _what are you doing?_ He asked with an incredulous look. Kagami was holding his breath and not showing any expression. He waved at him to shoo him.

"In dayo... tachibani modoru." _It's okay... go back to your position._ Aomine automatically zoned in on his legs, wondering if there are bandages or supporters that he didn't see. "nee... daijoubu, Aomine. _" Hey... I'm fine,_ this time with a raised voice and a pleading look. They were already the center of attention. Somewhere from the corner of his eyes, Aomine could see his teammate walking towards him.

Aomine huffed and walked fast to his position, the second quarter went as usual. His heartbeat fast, this time not because of the game. His stomach felt like twisting and he hoped Kagami has an explanation for this. To vent his build-up, Aomine made an asshole move to be possessive towards the ball but nobody had stopped him.

He could feel Kagami's eyes burning in the back of his head but he knew what he was doing. He was calling him. Not until Nate put a firm hand on his shoulder after Aomine sent a murderous look at a Bulls' player that almost decked him in the stomach that Aomine tried to calm himself. The second quarter ended and the third quarter started but Aomine didn't see Kagami's body move from his seat, even when he talked to his coach with a distressed look.

Alarms blared on his head and he got antsier, and he only made it worse by playing harder. The air around his teammates grew tense and as he muted every word his coaches and his teammates discussed, he listened to Nate's voice. Loud trying to speak between all the noises. Behind the cascade of the towel draped on his head, he nodded at Nate's words. Go into the zone. Go into the zone.

He willed himself to go into the zone but when he caught Kagami tapping his foot at the edge of his seat, he couldn't. Before he knew, the last quarter started with the Cavaliers taking the lead. The oddly wide score gap was understandable considering they benched Kagami despite not being a lot, and Aomine felt like snapping here and there.

"Why aren't you playing?!" he loudly asked when he was a few meters away from the Bulls' seat. Of course it caught everyone's attention, and Kagami could only blanch. He walked to the scorekeepers, "I want Bulls' jersey no.10 to play. Put him in the game."

There are some shuffling and a horn blared signaled timeout. Aomine watched from his side as Bulls' coach walked fast to the table official. He talked in murmured voice to one of the scorer and Aomine could only ball his hands to his side. Irked at the fact that they treat him like a demanding kid. One of the officials walked to him, "look. I don't know how you think it's okay to ask an opponent team to switch a player, but understand that we sat him down for the whole game because of an injury. Has he told you that? _Your_ coach is the one who's supposed to ask for a member change. Go back to the game or we'll take this as a form of a foul."

The words sunk into Aomine like acid, "then _why the hell_ is he playing the first round?!"

Some stormed to him, which Aomine noticed as Bulls' coach. His face red with anger and he sneered, "It's my rule, I'm the one who knows about his condition. He is my player, what are you doing meddling around, Daiki Aomine?!"

"What was the difference if he played half the game? He can't be injured—"Aomine could feel a member from his team pushing him back by the chest but Aomine couldn't stop the panic from rising. "Fuck you!"

He got a foul but his only thought was Kagami's worried look. The last thing he saw before he zoned into the last quarter was Kagami's conflicted look. He could hear Bulls' coach yelling around and spouting threats to his players but he didn't care. His teammates looked scared, his opponents better be too. He is going to **_crush_ **them.

.

* * *

.

The Bulls huddled in the locker room, with reporters waiting outside throwing questions and calling Kagami's name more than usual. The atmosphere in the room suffocated him despite the luxurious display. He sat at the corner far from his teammates as their captain explained the recap of the whole game. They lost. There was nothing to say. But Kagami didn't feel that same shame. Only questions that lingered in his head.

"Coach, please. Explain to me why I was benched three times. I only played for 12 minutes." He used to have people say he has a disrespectful way of talking to elders but right now, he felt like everything that he says would still be wrong. His coach has this permanent scowl, his blonde hair disheveled after he yelled at their team.

"What do you want me to say? I've had enough of you all yapping. Do you see the score in the end? 186 to 136 are you all out of your minds?! I want you all to do better next but it seems some players can't have a next time."

"What do you mean, coach?" his captain asked cautiously.

"I'm trading Kagami." A chorus of protest erupted and Kagami stood up and walked closer to his coach, his heartbeat quickened and his hands clammy, is this what he was planning all along?

"No, no, you can't just say that. He's been with us for so long, plus he still got a year to finish his contract." His captain shook his head. "There is a time and a place for this, what are you doing?"

"Coach, you gotta be kidding me," one of his teammates quipped back.

Kagami watched as his coach's face broke into an ugly sneer and he pointed at his captain's chest. "I can and I will bench you for the next game, I can do whatever I want with you. It's part of my responsibility and authority. Do you not see the games from the past few weeks while he irresponsibly injured his leg?" Kagami looked down, guilt and shame washed over him.

"I tried to play the sooner I recover, coach. I've worked hard after, last game with the Celtics we only have a one score gap when before we could barely have five. I promise you, my injury won't change my performance at all. Please, just give me one more chance, I'll do better next time." Is this happening? Kagami couldn't breathe. His chest tightened and he felt like running away. He couldn't bear looking at his teammates' faces. One thing he knew he could change teams at some point in his career but never in his entire life had he dream of disappointing his teammates.

His coach glared at him, spoke with a sharp low voice. Each word is like knives to his gut. "That's more like an empty promise if I ever hear one. It's your fault that that prick Aomine went ballistic on the court. I won't dwell much, this could all be an elaborative ploy to sabotage the team if you didn't play as bad as before. Either accept this or go back to where you came from," the room went quiet. Either because of disbelief or fear, Kagami didn't know. He felt both, never realized he could feel both.

"You're done for, Kagami. You're broken."

.

* * *

.

Kagami left sooner than the other team, sneaking in the back to avoid reporters and taking an Uber without going anywhere. But, he did choose somewhere close to Aomine's hotel. He was piling him with notification right after the game, asking to meet up sooner than possible but with the reporters swiveling around, he knew it's going to be hard. He didn't want people to speculate more about their relationship. His head throbbed with mild migraine and he didn't have his painkillers around. He didn't even feel like crying. There was a lot to unpack and his brain sped a mile a minute with things that would only make him worry more if he let them consume him. He closed his eyes until his phone vibrated again.

_Go back._ He sent. Kagami frowned, slumping forward on his seat. _Go back to your apartment. I'll meet you there._

He sighed, not wanting to argue. "Sorry, can you turn around? Monroe st. Pent House. I'll pay you double."


	5. five.

Aomine closed his hotel door and walked to the room right across him. Thank fuck he got the room right at the end of the hallway. He currently looked like a burglar with his dark jacket, hood drawn up, black biker mask, and a big backpack slung on one side but eh... it's necessary. He just hoped nobody jumped him. He knew paps are loitering around their hotel and he didn't want to risk more than what he's about to do. He knocked a few times, "Nate." The word muffled.

"Daiki, the fuck?" Nate whispered after he opened the door.

"I'm going out. Don't wait for me. I'll be back in a few days."

Realization dawned on his teammate and nodded while looking away, "o-oh... you want to... do the do."

"Of course, not! At least not tonight." He crept close so nobody could listen, "I'll work on that, you think I'm also ready?"

Nate huffed and took his arms, pat his shoulders. "Whatever, man. Good luck, say hi for me, and tell me all about it later. Be safe. The next time I want to see you is in person. Not on some article or news, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Daiki sounded annoyed but the crinkle of around his eyes indicated a grin.

Daiki was about to turn and leave when Nate stopped him, "wait... did you bring it, though?"

Daiki could only stare for a while, "...always."

.

* * *

.

Kagami heard his apartment bell rang and a figure wearing all black appeared on his CCTV. Another thing shown when the figure moved to the side to his speaker and camera was a plastic bag. Filled with take-outs. He could see a pair of zaffre irises when the figure looked up, making Kagami's heart flutter. He immediately opened his door, hurrying him despite the apartment being secluded.

"Did you enter from the back gate? Please tell me nobody followed you, Reporters keep getting up my ass this afternoon, I swear—"

He only heard a huff and finally Kagami shut up and took everything in. Aomine stood tall and broad despite their only one-inch gap; in the crammed genkan, smelling of car freshener, a bit of traffic smoke, and the woody musky Eu de Bois perfume. Kagami didn't realize it's been so long since Aomine walked into his apartment until he felt the wave of something tingly in the pit of his stomach.

He radiated warmth despite the cold evening air, and his face did not give up anything despite his previous outburst. He silently opened his mask and hood, tugged his Timberland off, and walked past Kagami to the open kitchen. Kagami could only follow with a low gaze. He's still mad. He clenched his hands and bit his top lip as Aomine dropped the take-out on his kitchen island. He opened his cabinet, searching for something.

Kagami gulped trying to find the right word, until Aomine's raspy voice echoed to the empty apartment. "Where did you put your whiskey? You always have the stock." He closed the door and looked in the fridge, "I'm taking the rum..."

"Stop that." Kagami walked close, taking the bottle from his hand, "you are not drinking alcohol tonight."

Aomine shrugged his backpack and it hit the floor with a tug. "Try me."

"Stop that!" Kagami pushed his shoulder and harshly closed the fridge's door, making the bottle of spices on the side shook and rattle. "You want to fuck me up too? Like what people did to me today? Is that it?"

Aomine crept closer, pushing him to his empty island. His eyes were sharp, his face hardened as he took Kagami's wrist on his side. "Enlighten me why all of this happened, Kagami. I had a month and a half to know, why didn't you say anything?"

"And do what?? Gave me healing magic?" He half-whispered. He could feel Aomine's ragged breath hitting his face, could feel his thigh jammed between his legs, could feel his chest almost pressed to his, and Kagami had never wanted him to just shut up and hold him.

But Aomine removed himself and walked to the edge of his counter, taking an empty glass. He filled it with tap water and drank, all while facing his back to Kagami. His voice shook at the end, "do you not trust me, Taiga?"

Kagami nodded down, leaning one arm on the island, he pinched the area between his brows, "I'm sorry."

"Well, do you?"

Kagami walked closer, his face pale and expression melted into a plea, "of course I do trust you, why do you think..." he looked around, "why do you think we do this. Playing for different teams and living in different cities despite being in a relationship." Aomine only gave him silent so Kagami only stopped when there are a few centimetres from where he stood. "Can you please just hold me," he said in a small voice.

Aomine turned around, blinking rapidly and immediately wrapped his arms around him. Aomine tugged his hip until their front pressed close, Kagami's face nuzzled on the inside dip of his neck. Kagami held him close, could feel Aomine swayed him a little. Could feel Aomine's nose nuzzle his hair. Aomine leaned on the counter and they stayed there for a while.

"I bought In-n-Out, I hope your stomach can take it."

Kagami only nodded but he didn't want to let go, and it seemed Aomine didn't want to either. He looked up, could see Aomine's sad almond eyes, hooded and a bit red on the brim. He could see the long straight lashes, sharp nose, and high cheekbones. With no signal, Kagami pressed his lips on his and opened his mouth to let Aomine deepen the kiss.

.

* * *

.

Later that evening, Kagami explained to him how all of this happened. From the first few months his coach came, how he kept giving Kagami an impossible amount of expectation, to how he got his injury and what happened after.

"It's an ankle sprain, but when we checked I have a tear on my Achilles tendon which I didn't notice yet other than mild discomfort. I recovered for about less than two weeks. They said if I let it be, I could hurt myself and the recovery could take up more than a month."

"But I missed, like, four games. We lost three out of them. The last one was with the Celtics and I tried to make it up by playing harder. We almost got it, but we also lost. At that time he got antsier and angrier, he lashed out on us, he even said some... slurs—do you know how it feels like working with someone that toxic?"

Aomine was watching and listening intensely, chewing on his burger slowly. He still looked upset but he was calmer, he knew better than anyone to face this with anger. He finally swallowed as Kagami finished the story and wiped his lips.

"Have you contacted your lawyer?"

Kagami nodded, taking a big bite of his burger, "I still don't know what to say, should I even be saying all of this?"

"Yes!" Aomine watched him with incredulity. "Are you kidding me, I'm not just angry Kagami."

Kagami swallowed, his brows shot up, "I'm honestly worried. This isn't just—Jesus, this isn't college where you can just ditch a teacher and change class. We can't even come out."

"We didn't even come out in college, though." Kagami blurted out before he held himself. Aomine messed his short hair in frustration. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to bring it up, it's just..."

"I know, I know..." Aomine groaned into the palm that cradle his face. "These are the times that made me realize what we do is not just for the sake of playing ball."

Kagami hated this. Despite what Aomine said, he looked vulnerable. Pupils shook and brows creased. He was always so good to him, always trying to understand and learn, always thinking things through. Sometimes he wished Kuroko was here, just to mentally support them both. But deep down, Kagami wanted to take his place. Wanted to be even more. Though, his technique has always been different than Kuroko. He preferred to be more straight-forward.

"Despite what you said, in the end it's just what we do. We've carved our career. I don't want to be involved in anything other than playing basketball."

Aomine raised a brow, but still looking somewhere on Kagami's floor. Not wanting to look at Kagami's eyes, "huh, well at some point I know it won't be like that." He flattened his lips, "this is part of the career. How many gay and bisexual Japanese NBA players out there? How many can stand up for their rights and fight for the people that try to bring them down?"

Kagami looked down, shoulders sagged, "right." He dropped his burger, rubbed his fingers to get the crumbs off, and reached for a fry, "my captain advice me to file a lawsuit."

"Okay, do that." Aomine finally looked up, his face still murky with worry and Kagami felt like wiping them away, "did he tell you anything else?"

"He said... we should collect evidence." Kagami watched as his boyfriend only nodded, "Hey, don't worry about it..." he softly muttered. He moved his seat forward, "Everything will be okay. He won't trade me or hurt me anymore."

Aomine folded his arms on his chest. He bit the inside of his cheek. Kagami watched as he struggled to say a word but Kagami himself didn't know if he wanted to hear it. "I'll be staying for a few days, no game this Tuesday."

"Oh..." Kagami perked up, smiled warmly. "Thank you, I'm nervous about all of this."

"It's nothing. I know your lawyer, so I thought I should come with you. But that's not what I want you to worry about," he took a can of beer and threw his head back when he drank. "Don't overwork."

Kagami opened his mouth, wanted to object. Aomine's glare behind the brown can made him sigh in defeat. "Okay..." Aomine put his drink down, "I didn't think I was overworking, I've had weeks of resting! You can't seriously take what my coach has said."

"Of course I'm not. Let me ask you, did you go to school while you were recovering?"

Kagami snapped his lips shut, holding a dignified frown. He watched in irritation as Aomine's face bloomed with smugness. He didn't look so worried! He wanted to be right, "....only a little bit!"

"Kagami..." Kagami didn't know since when did Aomine develop a scolding tone, but he didn't want to dwell further. "I'm not saying you're not recovering property but you should tone down that high functioning tendency," his gaze softened, he lowered his voice until it's smooth as butter. "I love you for that, but you always guilt-trip yourself into thinking you need to make up for whatever that you're going through. It's because I don't believe what your coach said that I want you to know you don't need to do all that."

Kagami could feel his face heat up, he stood up and took a glass of water, secretly fanning his face when Daiki wasn't looking. "Fine, I won't."

He stood there in the kitchen for a while, sipping on his water, watching Daiki in the middle of the living room playing with his TV remote. He took a few things out from a kitchen drawer at the far corner, where he usually put his canned food supply. He quickly walked back into the living room with Daiki's eyes caught him and he started smirking.

"Don't—say anything." He dumped the banana milk bottle and skittles on his lap, the small bottle with Korean words written on the label looked so tiny on his big palm. Yet Aomine sipped and smiled with so much smugness Taiga couldn't help feel a hummingbird flutter on his chest. "you look like a preschooler," he choked a laugh as he turned his body to face his boyfriend.

Daiki popped a few colorful Skittles candy to his mouth, "don't care. I missed sweets."

"I honestly didn't expect you being almost as much of a sweet tooth as Murasakibara." Kagami propped his elbow on the couch's head, his cheeks mushed by his fist.

"Speaking of the lazy devil..." Kagami blinked as something dawned on him. Aomine raised a brow seemed to understand when Kagami's face lit up with recognition. "Your brother must've told you, right? Well Murasakibara texted me last week about the wedding."

Kagami hit his forehead lightly, "Oh, fuck. I almost forgot."

"Chill, it's still at the end of the year," Aomine munched slowly as he looked Kagami up and down, making Kagami tilt his head in question. "I was wondering what you thought about that."

Kagami must've shown how surprised he was, despite expecting somewhere along the line of dating Aomine, "W-w-what do you mean?"

Aomine looked at him with intent without immediately answering. The suspense killed him. "...I mean what do you think the wedding is going to be."

"Oh, a small private wedding, obviously. Tatsuya said his dad has a beach house in Malibu but I don't know the rest. He's been... making me... catch up to things."

Aomine looked like he wasn't listening. Not exactly, more like musing. It made Kagami's heartbeat skyrocket, but before he averted the topic, Aomine hummed, "oooh... cool. Wonder how those things work. Your brother is famous right?"

"And so does Murasakibara, it's not like people didn't know the top chef ." He bit his lips, looking down. Wondering himself.

"Yeah. Well, being a Generation of Miracles himself made you famous." Kagami snorted a light laugh, but now he couldn't shake the tension in the room. He glanced slowly at his boyfriend, who was looking down. Before Kagami looked back down, Daiki blinked, "well, we're gonna be busier nearing the end of this year. So, did you know that Nate told me this really good restaurant in Aurora?"

Well, fuck. Did Taiga do something? Did he say something wrong?? Kagami could feel his sweatdrop. His heart somersaulted and he couldn't decide how to feel about this. He hurriedly answered, "o-oh you mean the Cajun dishes?"

"Yep." Aomine grinned, "Really good and they gave like a couple discount if they ever had anniversary or... engagement..." he cringed, and tried to save himself. "Cause y'know. Nate was having an anniversary dinner with his wife..."

Kagami could only stare and glanced around, his lips moved slowly but no words come out, "...we should go there sometimes."

As if on cue, the two averted their gazes, Kagami sat straight rubbing both his palms in unsure. His brain ran a mile a minute but he didn't know if he should make a move. What was Daiki trying to say?? Shit. He freaked out, maybe Daiki knew he freaked out? Or getting freaked out by the second? Maybe he wasn't even implying anything. Taiga, stop assuming, what if he's as equally flustered at the prospect of... that. Whatever the frick Daiki tried to say.

Daiki sighed in the end, he stood up from his seat. "It's getting late. I'm using the guest bathroom," he threw his trash as he walked to the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting ready myself," Kagami rubbed his face tiredly

.

* * *

.

Aomine came out of the guest bathroom shirtless when Kagami was spreading the comforter on the guest bedroom gaped. He frowned but Kagami could only raise a brow in confusion. "Wear your shirt, what are you doing?! It's going to be cold tonight."

"No." He frowned and entered the room. He took the pillow and the comforter, the soft thick sheet dragging on the floor, "you've prepared a guest bedroom, for your boyfriend. I'm sleeping on the couch bed."

"I—I..." Daiki ignored him to dim the lighting and pull the couch bed open. He threw his pillow and comforter, "fine, fine! Dammit," he could hear his boyfriend stormed away to his bedroom, most likely to take his favorite pillow out. 

Daiki waited by propping his elbow and scrolling through Netflix, idly finding a show that's not obnoxious enough to fill the mood. He stretched his leg, despite the big couch and the long comforter, his toes were still dangling, now idly wiggling as he hummed nonchalantly.

He could hear Kagami choked and he turned, gave an amused smile. He patted the side beside him to where Kagami soon propped his favorite pillow. The pillow that always accompanied him wherever he went. Including sleeping cramped with Daiki on his dad's couch bed. When he still studied at UCLA. "Should we move to my bedroom instead?"

"...nah. It's more fun like this."

"Fun." Kagami parrotted with an amused tone. Aomine ignored him to snake a hand to his middle, spooning him. "I can't see the TV from here," Kagami muttered.

Aomine propped his chin on the crevice of his neck and grunted in satisfaction. "We're not gonna watch anything, anyway." He mumbled, mouthing his skin. He missed this, Kagami's skin that smelled like soap, cool to the touch, and heated under his lips. He got flustered easily and it made him endeared how honest he could be for him.

Kagami closed his eyes and sighed when another hand trailed his hand down, down, down... "Ah..."

"Remember when we used to do this a lot in university?"

"Now is really not the time to remember my dad," Kagami half-whispered. He turned his body to touch Daiki's chest, still closing his eyes.

"Was about to say it was funny whenever we're fooling around under your dad's nose. His couch bed was smaller too. Can't believe it could take up two big guys humping... hahahah," he laughed and the hand on his middle tightened, making Kagami snorted.

"God, please stop talking," but Kagami opened his eyes with a wide smile. "We were loud! Do you not know how scary it is the day I moved out of our L.A. apartment and dad told me when we had brunch??"

"We always defile someone's couch. It's a good thing I never let you stay the night in my dorm or we might do it on the student lounge's couch."

"Ewww... people always make out there and threw up after a party. I still wonder why your dorm is the most disgusting place I have ever set foot on." Kagami hid his cackle under the back of his hand, "remember when Alex kicked us out when we did it on her couch after movie night."

Aomine stopped his movement, raking his hand up to hide it under his shirt, feeling his tummy. "It's her fault she made the guest bedroom into a cat playground!"

"But if we did, we might break her bed and we can't really pay her at the time."

Aomine looked at him with something unreadable. He felt suffocated as a pair of molten lava captivate him, "we... were so broke when I moved from Japan."

"Y-yeah," Kagami hooded his gaze, moved his face closer so their breaths could mingle. "We've come a long way, I guess. You've especially come a long way."

Aomine smiled lightly, "I guess," his eyes raked every inch of Kagami's face, something nagging in the back of his head.

"What?" Kagami's voice was small, he never heard he use it before, only with his brother and Tetsu, his best friend. He was so content just being himself. It was a bit untouchable, so presumptuous of Daiki to think he could reach Seirin's ace back then. He knew him as someone who never wanted romance until he needed it. Daiki wondered when he started needing him. "What's wrong?"

Daiki tug the smooth chin and ran his thumb on plump lips. "Nothing." He dove down, engulfed himself in the minty breath, and warm wet heat. He grew hot. Took everything in from the gasp to the whimper to the shiver, zoning in only to the redhead as if it's all he would ever do in his lifetime.

Taiga slung a leg over his thigh and flipped the position, pressing closer and Daiki could only groan. Thought he might be overwhelmed. He snuck a hand under Kagami's waistband, harshly tug at his shirt, demanding as always. Kagami sat up to stop Daiki's roaming hand, his breathing already ragged and face feverish red, though he finally could choke out the words, "I love you."

Daiki pushed Kagami's thigh further apart, the comforter on the edge of the couch bed about to fall. He reached up, pinching his cheek. "I love you too."


	6. six.

Kagami's eyelash fluttered as blinding white light filtered through the thin pale grey curtain. he wondered why he smelled coffee and he was very cold. He snuggled further as somewhere behind him the sizzling sound alarmed him and the smell of bacon burst through his nose, making his (very naked and very aching) abdomen growled in hunger. He opened his eyes looking right at the wide blue sky and skyscrapers from his wide apartment window.

He sat up and looked around only to find Aomine watched him calmly from the tall chair of the kitchen island as he sipped a drink from the navy blue Koya mug he stored for Aomine only.

"Coffee?" Aomine offered. As another sizzling sound resonated, his boyfriend turned around to flip some bacon and sunny side up, ignoring Kagami who was now walking drowsily behind him. Kagami slung his arms around his boyfriend's waist and propped his chin on his shoulder. He nipped as his ears as he watched the bacon curled and darken. Aomine smiled, "mmm... love your morning breath,"

Kagami bumped his forehead on his boyfriend's head and frowned. He heard a small snicker and a greasy palm patting on his bare butt.

"Don't give me that look, go on and clean, I'll finish making the breakfast. Don't judge me for this."

Kagami retracted his arms while still pouting, and turned. He waved his hand, "you can't tell me what to do," he muttered with a lack of snark. He ignored Aomine's snickering and the feeling of Aomine's eyes on him as he walked down the hallway stark naked.

After Kagami finished cleaning up and wore a pair of freshly new clothes, he noticed Aomine fiddled with the pocket of his grey sweatpants. When he noticed Kagami, he gave a grin, turning around to take a pair of empty plates and sat them down, motioning Kagami to sit on the side of the kitchen island, facing him. Kagami watched with wide bright eyes as his boyfriend sat down the eggs, bacon, and a stack of toast. He also brought peanut butter, jam, mustard, ketchup, and whipped cream. But Kagami didn't want to ask. Aomine grinned proudly and Kagami plunged his fork on one of the eggs, "whoa, these looks not burnt."

"Really? That's it?? Was my level really that low?" Aomine deadpanned but followed him, biting on a piece of bacon and hummed. Kagami snorted a laugh and bit into his egg.

"Sorry, I'm actually really proud. So this is what made it easier for you to live by yourself." Kagami munched on his eggs, "you seasoned this. That's so nice."

"Damn right, and I didn't mistake salt with sugar like last time." He took a toast, spread strawberry jam, soft peanut butter, bacon and egg, then topped it with a swirl of the low-fat whipped cream Kagami just bought. Kagami had long realized, Daiki's sweet tooth tends to get extreme (though never as extreme as Murasakibara's) and made Kagami himself wonder if it butchered his taste bud. But, he realized sometimes it didn't taste so bad. Not that Kagami would ever admit it. "Here, taste this. How is it?"

"No, I've tried this before, the whipped cream is just too much," he said that yet still complied albeit a bit horrified. "Okay, using the low-fat one is a bit bearable, but still..." He munched slowly as he watched Aomine took a bite from the same toast with zero problems.

"See? It's like drinking milk and eating two types of breakfast dishes at the same time. Call me Gordon." Kagami cringed in disgust at the analog and glared at the trembling smile his boyfriend gave. He was trolling! Is he asking to be kissed mid-chew?!

"Wooow... but nooo... I have to admit, this is Gordon Ramsay," Kagami put his hand on eye level, "and this is you." He put his hand above his head.

"And I thought your food is above Gordon! Next time ask me for my other recipe, though it's mostly incorporation of various teriyaki dishes."

"Then I don't need to ask you that! I already know most of it. For the record, we both never tried Gordon's cooking."

"We sorta did with his burger patty. I like yours better to be honest. " Aomine finished his toast, rubbing the tip of his mouth with the back of his thumb.

"Mmm, me too. It's because I prefer it with very few seasoning." Kagami cut his bacon, closed his eyes. "perfect for teriyaki burger. Besides, what are you so cheerful for this morning," he muttered.

"I don't know, I just got laid, dude." Daiki took another toast, now eating them dry. Kagami opened his eyes to glance with a scandalous stare, "kidding, I don't know... maybe I'm just happy I get to see you again." Kagami's stare softened, "and after last night, I feel even closer to you. Not just physically."

Kagami swallowed slowly, hiding his smile with his fingers. "yeah, me too. Though, I'm also happy I finally get you to fuck my worries out."

"Yeah?" Aomine wiggled his brows, his grin wolfish. There were bits of bacon and toast on his cheeks and the image made Kagami snorted. "It has been a while since you got a good dicking, huh??"

Kagami rolled his eyes and shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the way Daiki watched him slowly blush. "No shit. Not that I have anyone else to turn to, so it's been just... me and some good ol' dildos."

Aomine barked a laugh, moved his upper body forward while raising a brow suggestively. "That is so true. In fact, just a week ago I ordered a glass one matching your size," he whispered like he's telling a conspiracy theory.

"Oh my god--" Kagami choked, palming his mouth before he looked like a boiling lobster and snorted his food. God, Aomine is something. "O-okay, I--have to admit I also bought a vibrating one... following your size."

"Shoot, really??" Aomine leaned back, looking satisfied as Kagami struggled to swallow his food between exhaling breathy laughs. "How are we always so in sync?! We should marry!"

At that, Kagami burst out laughing, putting his fork and knife down gently. "Oh my god..." he didn't see the way panic fleeted past Aomine's eyes and only the gradually quiet room made him slowed down. He shook his head as he played at the leftover egg, still smiling. Kagami raised his brows at Aomine who was staring hard at his half-eaten toast. Making Kagami leaned his head in confusion. "wh-what...?" he quietly whispered while still laughing.

Aomine smiled on one side, looking a bit... bashful? Kagami furrowed his brows when Aomine snorted a laugh but shook his head and still not looking up. "Can't believe this is happening."

"What do you mean?"

"Shit, why isn't it going as planned...?" he mumbled to himself, so small Kagami had to strain his hearing, "and of course it had to be after I said something ridiculous... shoulda wrote a script instead of... blurting out about fuckin'... toys..."

Kagami blinked, something slowly dawned on him, something he didn't dare to even say it in his mind. In fact, his mind was currently running wild, despite his movement slowed and unsure. He snapped his head up as the sound of the chair scraping the floor echoed through the apartment. Aomine's hand clenched to his head and his face showed the most determined look Kagami had ever seen. No... he meekly thought.

Daiki kneeled in front of him as Kagami's heart rate picked up. Kagami paled at the warm look he gave. His hand slipped inside his back pocket and Kagami's breath hitched. Oh no... is he really...? alarms blared in his head as he saw a small navy blue box wrapped in velvet fabric, tiny Kagamis shouting to one another at the same time. Something squeezed his heart as it opened. It ached as his mind blared one loudest message that said Yes, yes, yes! with tiny multiple objections. 

"Kagami Taiga, I know this feels so sudden but..." the voices stopped.

Daiki's eyes drooped and the smile widened, "will you marry me?"

.

* * *

.

They stared at each other for a long time. Kagami's severe and hard while Aomine's eyes wavered by the second. He looked like he was about to bolt right then and there and Kagami would probably let him. They seemed to be playing catch and throw with the question. Like scalding hot coal passing from one hand to the other, neither wanted to burn. 

Kagami slowly opened his mouth, his voice shaky. "A-are you going to dump me if I say no?"

Aomine raised his brows in genuine surprise. "Are you going to say no?" his voice incredulous. He stood up and dropped the ring box on the table.

Kagami averted his eyes. His heart still beating loud and hands shaking, "...what do you want me to say...?"

Aomine slowly furrowed his brows. He licked his lips, picking up the same nerves. He made a dry laugh to hide it. "Gee, Taiga, what do you think I wanted you to say?!"

Kagami made a small gasp, "Why are you angry at me??"

Aomine slapped his hand on the table, "I'm not--" blinked then exhaled loud, "just tell me, is it a yes or a no?"

Kagami looked down, tongue-tied.

Aomine's face fell. His voice dropped, "...so it's a no."

Kagami's lifted his eyes and speak with ragged breath, "no-no I mean... ugh... I don't know..." Kagami closed both of his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to will the nausea away. "Why? Why now?"

"I thought we both wanted this... am I wrong?" Kagami shot his eyes open, frowning, he honestly didn't know. He was sure he never explicitly mentioned but... he couldn't lie he had thought about it before. Aomine continued with a lower grave voice. "Do you not think it didn't keep me up all night whenever we video call? Every time you say you miss me and every time you look more tired than the day before. Tetsu secretly asking me to look out for you making me wonder... Taiga, what's holding you back?" Kagami saw Aomine's pained look as something crumbled inside of Kagami. 

Kagami wanted to say, no, it's okay, but he knew this time it was futile. 

Aomine leaned close, "Just tell me..."

Kagami closed his eyes again, crouching, feeling raw and fragile. He slowly shook his head, nauseous.

"Am I crossing any boundaries...?"

"No," Kagami whispered, "I hate whenever you say that..."

"...no, it's fine, you've said so yourself, I'm always brash and impulsive." Aomine slowly lifted his hand, hovering on Kagami's cheek. Kagami opened his eyes, leaning to the open palm.

"No... it's not you..." Kagami inhaled. He stood up and walked around the kitchen island and took a clean glass, filling it with water. "I'm sorry," he muttered, taking a sip to will the bile away.

Aomine rubbed his face with both of his hands, "no, I'm the one who should say sorry," he sat on Taiga's seat, glancing at the half-finished breakfast. "It really isn't the time, then. But you still need to tell me what's wrong... I just—want us to be closer because I feel like we need it. Last night really gave me hope."

"We need it," the words spoken like a sarcastic statement but there was a wonder in the tone. "Do you not remember who said we should play for different teams?"

Aomine furrowed his brows, "I said that because it's safer to be in a relationship without making people suspicious. We were rookies, Taiga."

"We are barely past being called rookies and I know there will be time for us to come out. But it's not just that! We are rivals, Daiki. You said so yourself. You even took pride in it. We've been going at it since high school and I know you might think there is a time to stop but this is just how we play!"

"It's not always like that! We did excellent working together against the Jabberwock.

"I'm not talking about teamwork!" before Kagami could bite his lips he continued, "when do I have the chance to win, Daiki?!"

"...what...?"

"You said I'm your equal rival but I never reached you, do you not know that...?" Kagami hated this, he hated this so much. "Check everywhere, compare our points. I will never be as close as you and we started the same year. Imagine if we really did play for the Lakers like I first planned." he watched as Aomine's eyes widen, each words like something alien and new. "We're not equals. We've never been. I can never beat you even if I tried. Even in all of our freaking one-on-one ended up with you winning."

"It's not always like that."

"Please, that's not the point." Kagami put his glass down, looking pointly at his reflection. "You won't understand but sometimes I wonder if you ever doubted me and this relationship."

"Doubted you...?" Aomine stood up but didn't dare to move. His hands open and moving. "T-then what is all of this? What does this ring mean to you...?"

"Well, what does that ring mean to you?"

.

* * *

.

Leone rang his apartment door bell and saved both of them for another long conversation. Kagami decided to move out of the kitchen first, entering his room to change. He got out with jeans and jacket, not forgetting his cap and sunglasses. He didn't feel like dressing up, wishing to get this over with. If Kagami saw his boyfriend turned his back to the hallway and lifted his head to will something out of his eyes, he didn't ask. Nor did he ask about the red tints on the edges of his eye socket as he sat on the passenger seat beside their driver and instructed him about today's errands.

Kagami gazed out the window with a blank stare, realizing that after this, there will be no rest. His captain wanted him to lead the team to gather the evidence. His lawyer might sign him up for a hearing. His manager wanted to meet him. He also needed to talk to his couch to keep him longer than necessary. So many things could go wrong. So many people might not cooperate.

His lawyer, a Korean-Japanese middle-aged man who lived almost all his life in San Fransisco before moving to Chicago a decade ago, told him about the lives of people of color fighting against workplace racial discrimination. The cases he dwells in. The discrimination he felt when he used to work in a law firm before he opened his own.

"I know this is the first time you asked me for this and I know you are a good kid, Kagami. But you have to know, people like him live their life having the privilege to ignore your issues and struggles. So when they see you breaking your eggshell in a territory they assume as theirs, they fear where you are now.

They fear what you are capable of on the court despite being on the same team. It's self-destructive. It's ingrained in the system but you are doing so many people a favor. You've opened a gate for others to open up. So don't let anybody tell you what you feel and should feel. Once you feel threatened, it should be the first red flag. So, hold him accountable, and don't be afraid."

It lifted his mood a bit. Only before he saw Daiki slumped on the car seat, playing with his phone. He had to admit, though Daiki only mostly wait on the car so no one suspicious could see them together, he helped him explain what to say and do, surprising him with his knowledge from when he majored in criminology a few years before he got drafted. It made him feel bad every time he listened and noticed the guarded and guilty look he put. He wasn't much of a smiling guy, always furrowing his brows and scowling, and it made Kagami want to touch and smooth it out. Wanting to say that they should just forget what they were talking this morning. But he couldn't. Not when a part of him wanted Daiki to hear. The guilt made Daiki fuss over him a bit. He asked him multiple times for stuff like, where do you want to eat? Do you want ice cream? Do you want me to call a masseuse after this? and Taiga kept shooting him down.

He shouldn't apologize. Taiga thought.

That night, Daiki slept on the guest bedroom while Taiga ended up staying up all night scrolling through his friends' feeds and his phone gallery. Hovering to Kuroko's message box a few times before ignoring it completely. he didn't feel like being confronted. Somewhere around 4 AM, he heard his front door open. He focused his hearing and heard rustling from the genkan, most likely Daiki preparing his shoes. He didn't expect Daiki to go on a morning jog, but apparently, that's what happened every morning throughout the time Daiki stayed in Chicago. he wondered if Daiki knew he stayed up almost all night and had only sleep around 1 AM only to wake up again at 4. He knew Daiki hated whenever he stayed up too late from agitation. But he didn't come to his room at all.

It felt like they're on the brink of a break, with the dry conversation... or lack thereof. But maybe it's for the best.

.

* * *

.

On the last day, in the afternoon, as Aomine put his stuff on his backpack, Kagami propped himself on the guest bedroom door. He folded his arms as he watched his boyfriend's back. Aomine had noticed him the first time he entered but decided to continue packing. "Hey,"

Aomine stopped looping his charger's cable and turned, "hey."

Kagami looked down, mumbling. "Thank you for your help today. It shouldn't be your problem but I sort of roped you into it."

Aomine turned again, putting his charger and his airpod in the Koya gadget pouch Kagami bought for him. "You don't need to thank me. That, uh... captain of yours is a good guy."

Kagami nodded despite Aomine wouldn't see it. "He knows how it feels, he played longer and dealt with people like Coach Tucker[], you know? It's surprising how much racial discrimination still happens in black-dominated sports, right?"

"Our world isn't the same as when we're in high school, Kagami. We met fans that yelled us racial slurs online and offline, people who alienated us because of a cultural difference yet fetishized us, the media framed with behaviors that are condemning, erased us, or give us misrepresentation, people who pointed out our sexuality as part of our failure. Now, we met people who abuse their authority. People might say, you're already part of the NBA, what more do you want when we just want to be seen as humans. Yet, suddenly everything that we work so hard for is reduced to something only they want to see."

Kagami wondered how the deep thinker inside of his boyfriend became a blessing and a curse at the same time. Wondering why he was never good enough to, sometimes, take him out of that realm. "It must be hard for you back then."

"What?" Aomine patted his travel backpack and stood up to wear his jacket.

"Uni. You were struggling with English and it's your first time living abroad. Plus your depression is still taking a toll on you..." Kagami looked down, to the clean grey tiles where his toe thumb fiddled at it.

"...guess who helped me get back up whenever I went into a slump, then?" He could see Aomine turned his head to him, could feel the small smile he couldn't return. The smile fell when Taiga didn't answer and Aomine sighed. "What'll happen after this?"

"Well, I've talked to him with my captain. I assume even if he wanted to he can't just waive me that easily. Though his answer is vague, 'I will consider it' I'll take it as I'm still playing in a few more games. Even if I did get waived in the end... I trust myself to not be jobless longer than necessary..."

"...you can play for my team. I can, maybe, ask--"

"No."

"Ah..." Aomine bit his upper lips, the heavy backpack slumped down on one of his shoulders. He walked closer to an arm's reach.

Kagami kept his poker face and stern voice as he kept his gaze. "I don't care about my salary cap. I just want to play."

"I know..."

"And about a few days ago... it's humiliating to admit it, but I won't take back my words... I've thought about it, maybe we just need a break." he exhaled shakily, knew he should say it sooner or later. Maybe it's a warning, maybe it's a plea. He hoped Daiki took it as the latter.

"No, we don't. My offer is still open, I won't do anything with that ring." Kagami gulped. "You say you can still play,. Then play me. The next match whether it be in two weeks or a month, let's settle this. If I win, you have to agree. If you don't want to get marry then fine, move in with me..."

Kagami could feel his cheeks heating warm, "god, you have no remorse..." he muttered in defeat.

Aomine continued, "If you win, I'll do whatever you want."

"...deal."


	7. seven.

Aomine sat on his couch, draped under his Koya blanket in only his boxers and socks. He stuffed his mouth with instant ramen while scrolling through his phone as Moody Blues blasted on full volume. Was he being dramatic? Probably. He couldn't give a shit, not when he couldn't stop feeling petulant for a whole week.

After he got back, he had people waiting to chew his ears off after his short break, his manager pestering him about his schedule. The postseason is closing in. Before he and Kagami could have a match, the Cavaliers has to reach the top eight. Every night he had to do extra practice, he had lines of press conferences because of their win and meet up events, and he always ended up leaving the stadium after around 11 PM. His apartment was littered with used clothes and takeout packages. He never had time to clean or shave, even. Tonight, he didn't have time to prepare dinner and just stopped by the convenience store to buy instant ramen and a pack of beer. To say he was pissed was an understatement. Because all of those are nothing compared to the cherry on top of his hell week.

Taiga didn't answer his texts or calls. He wanted to ask that captain of his but he knew Taiga would probably be angry when he finds out, not that he wasn't already. He knew he was the one who proposed the challenge but he didn't even know if his team would fight against the Bulls again. There was a limit to how much one can play against another team. Not to mention what happened last time. As he scrolled through his Line messenger, he saw the name and face of his childhood and best friend for life.

Opening the second can of Guinness, Aomine tilted his head in uncertainty before pressing call. He sipped the drink as he listened to the telltale sound of connection. "Yoo... Satsukii..."

 _"Oh my god, Dai-chaan...??"_ Momoi's high pitch excited voice blared through the speaker, adding extra noise to the chorus of _Nights in White Satin_. He turned down the volume.

"Yeaaahh... I hope you're not in the middle of work...?"

 _"Nooo... it's already lunchtime, you big dummy! What time is it there?? Wait it's been so long since you last called me, are you drunk??"_ her voice echoed in and out, heavy rustling and bustling sound in the background made him wonder if she's outside.

He sighed, "I'm not drunk, a bit tipsy maybe."

 _"On weekdays?! Really, Dai-chan! And I still can't believe you finally call us It's been months. The last time you call me was January! I can't forgive you for that--"_ Aomine already groaned as his best friend's bubbly chat went on and on.

" _Yeesh!_ Shut up,I got busy. I don't _usually_ drink." He threw his back on the couch head and rubbed his face.

Despite his retort, Momoi laughed, a twinkling chime so familiar to his ears. _"Okay, okay, oh my god, how have you been?? How is Kagamin?"_

He watched from the mouth of the can, the golden liquid bubbling, he grimaced and answered with a low voice. _"_ Yeah, haha... about that... he rejected my marriage proposal."

 _"HE_ ** _WHAT_** _?!"_ Aomine jolted at the sound. Damn her. _"Oh my_ ** _god_ , **_how and when...?? I'm calling him right now."_

 _"_ Wait--no, no! He's really busy, please don't talk to him about it!" Aomine groaned loudly, "he's uh.. about to settle a workplace case on the court so..."

The line went quiet, the bustling background was still there, meaning his best friend has been yelling in public which was not weird, nope, so typical of her. _"Whaaaaaat... oh my god... TETSU-KUUUUUUUNN...!"_

Panic rose at the mention of Kagami's old teammate and best friend. "wAIT, SATSUKI, HE'S THERE...?! shut up, don't tell him--"

The line ended.

_Fuck._

Aomine waited for another call with caution. His phone vibrated and as he rolled his eyes in resignation, Aomine answered. Before he could say anything, Kuroko's soft (yet irritated) voice resounded, _"Can't say I'm not disappointed with you two."_

"My god..." he muttered to himself, "good to hear you again, Tetsu."

" _Right when we finally get to contact you, Aomine-kun."_

"I said I was busy!"

" _Busy shopping!"_ he heard Momoi yell. Aomine felt his vein popped.

" _Yes, at least you can ask us whenever you are online--"_

 _"uploading shoe pics."_ Momoi jabbed.

 _"And street food selfies."_ Kuroko added.

Aomine rolled his eyes, "They're mostly in a haste and--okay, I'm sorry!"

Seirin's ex-player sighed, _"care to tell us exactly what happened? Momoi-san said Kagami-kun is in trouble and uh... I'm sorry about the proposal but I'm currently very worried about whatever happened to Kagami-kun."_

"No, it's fine. That's valid. You can put two and two, it's not a good time." Aomine sipped his beer, watching from his window as the bleak dark blue sky littered with thin clouds and a lone moon. He breathed, feeling the alcohol melt his brain and made him drawl his words, "but don't sweat it, or at least not when you're going to talk to him about it. He's still upset over... the proposal."

_"Of course."_

"Now we just need to find out if they decided to waive him or I don't know. I honestly don't know what to do, Tetsu. Why does he always keep a secret from me? And now when shit hits the fan. Stuff like this happened..."

"Kagami-kun is worried about what you might do and he was never one who will open up to us until he really needed to."

"I know, I know, he's strong. But he's not... he's not by himself anymore."

Aomine listened to the murmur of the music and the traffic a few stories below. _"He is. So I hope after this Kagami-kun won't hesitate to open up more."_

Like a broken dam, he finally talked to him about what happened since his last match with the Bulls, how he stayed a few nights. About his injury, his coach, and the proposal. "Sorry, I probably sound like I'm blaming him. I'm not! It's because of me. If I hadn't pushed the rival agenda so much he wouldn't push himself too hard, and now asking for a marriage that we both know wouldn't do well right now. I can't stop being selfish, Tetsu."

_"Aomine-kun..."_

"I've hurt you two, now I'm hurting him," Aomine didn't realize sooner until he felt the prickling heat on his nose and the back of his eyes. He glanced up. He didn't expect himself of a crier and it made him think about Kise and Midorima, and it sorta made him feel even more mellow.

Welp, that's enough beer for tonight. When Kuroko answered next, his voice rang crystal clear, _"You two have been the strongest out of all of us, you know? We couldn't imagine having a relationship like the two of you had. Not to mention you two started in a pretty bad term. But you two manage to keep the ship afloat. It's a relationship, Aomine-kun, there are bound to have bumps."_

"A fatal one that is."

_"How would you know?"_

Aomine blinked, glancing at his phone like he could see Tetsu's know-it-all look. He chuckled, before he could hold himself, he blurted out. "...I guess I overreacted. It's just... I love him, Tetsu, I really do. I never once thought about having a break or choosing someone else. Despite everything, I always believe in him and I believe he feels the same way."

 _"Aww... Aomine-kun...."_ Momoi's coo slipped in, making his tired grin widen. _"Isn't that enough, then? Dai-chan, I've always known you to jump back up even when you fall."_

"Huh." He lifted a brow, "Even when I got depressed back in middle school?"

 _"Yes! When you challenged Tetsu-kun and Kagamin in Interhigh, I knew you have faith in them. It's your way of getting back up,"_ he hid his face on his cushion, despite having no one else in his apartment.

 _"Well, you have your answer, now, Aomine-kun."_ Kuroko added, _"we're rooting for you both."_

They probably won't let him go after this, but it's worth not slipping again. It made his stomach swoon and filled with warmth. He turned off his music and stood up to throw his trash away. "Thanks, Satsuki, Tetsu."

he could hear Satsuki whined in the background, _"ugh, well now I'm gonna cry in the middle of eating. My Dai-chan has grown up."_

_"Oh--one more thing, Aomine-kun. I'm going to text you about it later, though, since we need to hurry up and finish our lunch."_

"Yeah, yeah, sure..."

He rolled his eyes before ending the call, dragging his blanket to his room, feeling fatigued. He yawned as he flopped on the bed, his eyes were heavy but his fingers kept tapping on the keyboard to Kagami's direct message.

_Sorry for evrything_

_Pls forgive me_

_Miss u_

.

* * *

.

It's a bit awkward entering the stadium. Everyone looked at him with caution and despite knowing at least the majority are on his side, he's still on his own. He was given a _mission_ to put it shortly, to talk to his teammates one by one for the evidence. So far he couldn't find the time. He didn't want to look suspicious. In fact, this whole ordeal made him guilty. Around lunchtime, Kagami decided to seclude himself in the wide stadium hall. He was itching to hear Daiki's voice, but he didn't want to confront the man, not after he finds a lead.

The hallway was cool due to the air conditioning. The only light source was from the wide windows, the shadow of cars that drove past the parking lot danced with his moving silhouette that blended under the shadow of a pillar. He found a spot with strong wi-fi there and it was quiet, away from his rowdy teammates. His Line Call lit up with Kuroko's face filling the screen. Both of his thick brows rose. Shit, it was so late in Tokyo. What the hell was he doing?

_"Hello, Kagami-kun."_

"Yo, why are you calling me this late hour." He answered, a small smile automatically tugged on his lips, "I'm sorry I haven't called you, things had been a bit hectic."

Kuroko's voice a soft hush and Kagami allowed himself to show the utter endearment in the privacy of the empty hallway. _"I know. I can't imagine how tired you are, right now."_ Kagami's smile fell.

"...so he told you."

 _"Yes."_ Kagami stretched his long legs and propped his back on the cool wall. _"But please don't be angry at him."_

He snorted lightly, "...I already am, can't even be angrier."

 _"Ah..."_ the sofa bench that he sat was small and stiff, but he buried himself deeper as he tried to ignore the fatigue that slowly crept in. _"Can I ask you one thing, at least?"_

"Sure. Whatever you want to know."

_"Why did you say no to Aomine-kun when he asked you to move out?"_

Kagami frowned, fiddling with the hem of his shirt, his voice raspy and deep. "Why wouldn't I? An athlete's job is short. Can't he wait for a little longer? Also, what is that even for?? What changes? Kids? I haven't even thought about it and I don't want to force it out when we're both often away and busy with work."

Kuroko went quiet for a while and Kagami wondered if his outburst was too much. He was about to apologize when Kuroko spoke again. _"Of course. I know your way of thinking, Kagami-kun. I too want the best for you so I know you understand exactly what you need to do for your future. But, I wasn't talking about marriage. But about the offer of changing teams."_

It was Kagami's turn to be silent. , "did he not tell you about it?"

 _"Sort of. He must want you to tell me yourself."_ Kagami dangled his head and sighed, _"he seemed guilty about it. I assume that's what made you angrier."_

"It wasn't him. I don't blame him for asking me that." Kagami's fingers tightened on his phone and he stared at the shadows dancing behind closed doors. He lowered his voice, "everything that I worked hard is solely for him. Back then, I thought it was so clear to me. I want to be number one, I want to be an ace, I want to play basketball. But at some point, I saw them something of a package. If I play basketball, I get Daiki. If I'm with Daiki, I have to play ball. When one of the other is not what I expected,"

_"Your world tilted."_

"Exactly. Is this..." he licked his lips in uncertainty, "is this unhealthy? Am I being obsessed? I have never dated anyone this long and I have never expected to be with someone because of my passion."

_"Well, there is always a first for everything. To me, there is nothing wrong with having a life prospect revolving around someone. Not in your case, at least. You said so yourself, Aomine-kun is your basketball. But you have to remember that you are part of his. Don't give yourself away, Kagami-kun."_

Kagami tugged his knees up and tugged his chin in, "is that what I did?"

 _"Yes. You can be very selfless sometimes, Kagami-kun. Which is an irony for your name."_ Kagami glanced at his phone as if he could see Kuroko breathe a quiet laugh to himself

"Very funny," he retorted, though he couldn't hide the smiley tone, "you know, he felt guilty but he still won't take my no."

_"Really?"_

"Yep. He wanted us to bet on it in the next match."

_"You didn't sound upset."_

"He's an idiot." Kagami pointed out. He let out a breath, this time with gratitude. Like a weight lifted off his chest, "wish me luck, I'm gonna win."

"Of course. But don't tell Aomine-kun. I truly believe in you." Kuroko yawned, reminding Kagami it's been really late there. Something warm seeped into his chest, "but, I have a feeling..."

"What...? What?"

"Nevermind." his best friend's voice stretched as he rustled on his bed, "oh, by the way, your match is going to be held in the postseason, right? I hope you both can make it."

"At some point, yeah We've gotten our schedule so I don't know when exactly am I facing him. Why you asked?"

_"It's around spring break here, so I'll have a few days off. We've been planning to see you both since it's been a while. Akashi-kun promises to pay for the accommodation. Momoi-san, Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun are busy, but I think Kise-kun can adjust his schedule."_

Kagami hummed, he widened his smile, "I see. I'll send you as soon as it's published." Kagami glanced at a movement on the far edge of the hallway. A tall figure hidden behind a potted plant waved a hand.

_"Thank you..."_

"Hey, Kuroko? Thanks," Kagami ended the call with a loop-sided smile, his brows rose in surprise. When the figure walked closer with uncertainty, a small polite smile tug on his lips. Jaden Bourne. One of their rookies and two years younger than him since he just got drafted this year. Kagami didn't know him well other than him being a really good point guard. He was also a pretty quiet kid compare to the other rookies.

"Hey, Taiga." Kagami pat his side for him to sit, "Can I... talk to you for a little bit?"

"Uh, sure." Kagami watched as he looked around and tug his phone out. Kagami watched as he opened an app. Kagami widened his eyes as Jaden showed him what looks like a private chat.

.

* * *

.

NBA postseasons, funny enough, reminded him of Winter Cup. Maybe it's because of the grandeur attitude and the fact that it's national. Aomine found himself relating to his old high school self easier than the competitions he got in university. Not that uni basketball wasn't as great. Maybe it's also a reminder for when his past young naive self fantasized what it's like to be an NBA player. Most DVDs in Kagami's cupboard were NBA playoffs from few years prior. He would talk about Celtics and Lakers' rivalry, Bulls' dynasty, the 1970s' Parity. Aomine would call him a nerd every time but ended up listening until late at night or accompanying him binging the whole series while eating burgers. The Winter Cup gave this same sense. Despite his second year without Kagami, Aomine would carve history during Winter Cup. Fighting monsters like Kise, Murasakibara, Midorima, and Akashi. NBA playoffs felt like that. Like his shounen sports anime climax showdown.

Also like a fated conquest, he didn't end up fighting against Kagami in the conference first round and semifinals. Saving the best for last, he guessed. As he exhaled the last exhausted breath before the horn blared, he watched as the crowd roared from the buzzer-beater he pulled. The scoreboard showing a gap of 131-93. But he quickly walked back to his bench, freshen up and kept silent as everyone cheered. 

There were after-party and press. He tried to skip them as fast as he could so he went home sooner. For once, his heart was still hammering like he was still playing. Because he wasn't waiting for _his_ win. But for another team on the other side of the country that was fighting the same battle to reach finals. He knew everyone was watching back home, waiting, and holding the same breath. Despite his nerves, he never doubted Kagami wouldn't make it. He was more nervous if there was something outside of the match that would hinder their bet.

The next day, after weeks of ignoring his calls and texts, Kagami sent him the update of the bracket with a short message: _Good luck, see you there_

Aomine couldn't hold his smile, couldn't hold himself to text back even though he was left on 'read' (again). But something lifted off his chest after months of torturous waiting. A few days later, Kuroko also sent him a text about their flight to O'hare airport telling him he'll see him at the United Center.

Nate kept pointing out how he was practically buzzing with excitement. He knew and he didn't even feel like concealing it. Well, he did, technically, since he didn't want to look suspicious but another thing also because the night before their flight to Chicago, Nate tapped him on the shoulder. "You gonna try asking him to marry you again?"

Aomine just finished showering after his evening workout and was about to hop on to his car. He told Nate about the bet, couldn't hide it when he looked like a zombie the first few days after his stay in Chicago. He hummed, watching the dim sky lit with only the remnants of the sun. His voice like a distant sound, "maybe. I don't know what'll happen if I win."

"You're gonna win, okay?"

Aomine didn't dare to turn around from his friend, not wanting him to see the doubt flashed on his face. But the silence made Nate suspicious, as he crept close with a raised brow. Aomine snorted, "of course I am."

Nate folded his arms, his lips tugged up in judgment, "Never seen you this doubtful before."

Aomine glanced at him, "don't want him to hate me or anything."

"I'm not an expert in relationships, but... if he doesn't want you because you're disabling him and his career, you're not meant to be with him."

Aomine furrowed his brows, feeling his stomach drop. "Do you think... we're done after this?"

Nate watched him, quietly feeling the ring on his left hand. "That's not me to decide but if I have to be honest, he's a pretty good guy and I never saw you two on a scandal before. The Bulls' number also rose because of Kagami. Man, he's practically little Carter! Did you see his dunks?" He chuckled when Aomine's face soften. 

Aomine scrunched his face and gave him a stink eye, "He's crazy! He's one of the toughest opponent I had, to be honest. He also knows me the longest so he's good at predicting my moves. It's so frustrating cause he's such a quick learner and his stamina--damn, sometimes I thought, how can someone play this long and with the same quality without looking half-dead--" Aomine bared his teeth at the Nate's raised brow, a small lopsided smile tugged on his lips. "What?"

He shook his head, walking towards his car while waving, "...yeah, nothin'. Save that same energy for tomorrow, 'kay?"

Aomine walked hurriedly to his car, when he arrived, the sky was a dark dome. "I will, dammit!"

Just when he flopped on the driver's seat, Nate drove by and stopped right behind him. "Well, see you tomorrow morning!" He honked, making Aomine curse, "Remember, don't be late, Daiki! I swear."

Aomine snorted and yelled as his friend drove away, "That was _one_ time!"

.

* * *

.

Aomine felt afloat.

He closed his eyes and numb himself, feeling detached, and here at the same time. He numbed himself from the jetlag, he numbed himself from the loud cheers and roars like the crowd never sleep. Like _he_ never slept, just rested. His heart buzzing faster and faster like never before, as red brick-colored jersey filled the court. He opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing he saw was a pair of new burgundy low top sneakers.

Everything suddenly weighed down on him.

He looked up to see a mop of spiky red hair, pair of almond irises framed by iconic branched brows. The calm face thought those eyes shook as he stood and stride through the court. Only an arm's reach. Aomine jutted his jaw. He squared up and ready to give a piece of his mind when Kagami spoke, "you're going to play your best, right?"

He glanced at Bulls' side, no doubt some people already stared at the pair. Aomine followed with a bored look, "of course."

"Okay, just making sure." Kagami nodded and turned. Aomine sighed, this again?

He drawled, walking closer. If only he could touch... "not even a hi?"

Kagami turned and gave a small frown, he glanced around. His voice low, "we're not doing this for fun."

"What? Nervous you gonna lose?" Aomine watched as Kagami eyes flashed with annoyance and those dark ambers suddenly just _burn_.

"Of course not. Don't pity me."

Aomine tilted his head, his brows scrunched up in confusion. He shook his head, "I don't think I'm the one who pities you." Kagami glanced away, his lips pursed in a flat line. "Don't hate me when you lose. Reflect on why you did. If there is one other person I have to beat today is the one that tells you, you're not worth your game. So at least, I want _you_ to play your best today. Show them that they're wrong."

A whistle blew and the two felt like the world resumed. When at some point Daiki felt like it took a pause. His teammates hurried him to line up and Kagami was already turning his back and jogging to his team. Aomine still watched him as he sat on his chair before he turned his head when one of his teammates pointed at the crowd. He turned and waved to at least three people he recognized from their hair. Tetsu's baby blue hair, Akashi's short magenta, and Kise's light blond hair were not hard to miss. His heartbeat and he saw a glimpse of Kagami's unconcealed glee. The whistle blew again, signaling the game has started.

Aomine moved forward, suddenly in a rush. He zoned in on players that could potentially hinder him, run past them while dribbling the ball and pass it on cue with Nate's waved hands. The haphazard screeching of shoes resonated with a distant commentary, blaring artificial light almost blinding him but as he took a ball and fake a move at an opponent, his eyes glanced at the ring and flung the ball formless style.

The crowd sparked. He turned and watched as Kagami caught up to him with gritted teeth. Aomine could see him mouthed out a curse and the next thing he knew Kagami already guarded one of his players, his eyes glared as he took advantage of his build and smack the ball right from Jersey #13's hesitated hand.

He marched forward, not giving Aomine time to catch up and the flow of the game moved quite faster than they used to. Kagami jumped high, forcing the ball in even when Cavs' center who was a two-meter giant, held the ball. He didn't give any Cavaliers' player a chance as he took the ball back and pass it on another player.

Aomine could play this game. Felt like old times when he played the other team and his teammates like the puppeteer. He stalked past the player who was now moving towards his ring, smacking it from the back and spun as another Bulls' player tried to guard him. He took long strides, passing the ball from one hand to the other in chaotic rhythm, played a fake like he was mocking a player, and reached Bulls' ring with a teardrop.

Kagami always came closer with bigger dynamite, his movement smooth and fierce like his opponents were cautious to touch the flaming hot energy. He mocked Aomine's formless lay up, and the crowd went ballistic. Aomine saw this invitation, guarding him with a wicked grin, and tried to take the ball from Kagami's possession. Kagami only dribbled twice and Aomine already smacked the ball out of his hand, taking it away where Kagami followed suit like a cheetah. When he tried to shoot, Kagami smacked it out of his hand and that's when Aomine realized his lover's stamina and energy distribution. 

Time out, Aomine found himself glad they didn't bench Kagami, the redhead player currently cracking his neck and pointing at the crowd, most likely at Tetsu and the others. "Hey, Nate, shouldn't we be guarding Kagami more?"

His teammate looked as exhausted, jugging on his water with fervor. "Hell, yeah, what did you do to him, you fool?"

"Nothing! I just told him to play his best." Kagami was eyeing him and he won't entertain him by looking queasy. He frowned. Nate shook his head.

"Well shit, if that's his best, I hope we're not screwed."

Aomine sucked a breath through his teeth, glared at his boyfriend. "Nah, we won't, trust me," he murmured. "It won't be long, he'll tire himself out eventually."

Aomine was right, as they reach the third quarter, Aomine moved before everyone could breathe. Strode half the court and from afar angle, decided to recreate his best Midorima's high projectile three, making his opponents gaped at him in shock because they probably didn't predict him to do so. He smirked when Kagami rolled his eyes, familiar with the pose. Aomine pushed an imaginary glasses and ran pass to catch a ball flying to his way. He jumped to dunk only for Kagami to hold him there. He pushed with a groan and the crowd cheered as it went in.

He remembered this heated look like the back of his hand. This pure rage. Usually, when Tetsu was Kagami's teammate, he would jab his stomach or smack his cheek to cool him down but in this situation where there was only Aomine to play the support system, he actually tried to make the flame ignite more. Tetsu was watching, though. Probably very entertained.

"You're tired already?"

Yes, Aomine had been called multiple things but _asshole_ was number one for a long time. He grinned despite looking equally as tired when Kagami scoffed and jogged away

.

* * *

.

Aomine breathed a slow breath. Throughout the time of getting into the zone, there was a point where it didn't feel like he was in the zone until he played and everything just had that magic touch of hyper-concentration. He's getting good at sliding in and out of the zone. Feeling grounded and channeling his energy better to choose the best timing. He could feel it now that he had been in the zone since the third quarter and Kagami seemed like he was too.

The zone was as exhilarating as ever, a meditative-like state where instead of the high and heat of his adrenaline rush, it was a light breezy feeling of tranquility. Where every sense in his body was uniformed, having the same focus. He moved to the beat and as everything played in motion, Aomine felt like he and Kagami were the only ones that lit up with livelihood, the ball magnetized on his hand. Never missed. Everyone's movement became so slow, his mind mapped out very clearly which player's in which position, who's open and who's fast enough to keep up with his pace. Everything felt like the back of his head. He knew there were sounds from the crowd, from the commentator, from the other players, the sounds of shoes, chatters around. But those became background noise. He could only hear his feet and heartbeat as he surged.

And a screech of a pair of burgundy sneakers.

Kagami's movements were different, smooth, and sinewy, like dancing. It was polished like the way that he moved pass from player to player to encounter Aomine. Where the two came to a halt right in the middle of the court. No time for jabs and chatter, Kagami's eyes traced his fingers, the ball that bounced weightlessly between his legs. The crowd was spellbound, in a trance as they watched the two aces dance like the destined star-crossed lovers.

But not long after the five seconds mark, Kagami decided to drop the pin. He stole the ball and spun his body. Kagami rushed towards the ring, huddled by multiple players, Aomine right on his trail. His grin turned into a sneer as Kagami jumped. He was airborne for a solid few seconds and Aomine lifted his hand and jumped--yet...

Three fingers. That's how swift Kagami was when Aomine didn't have a chance to even hold the ball with his whole palm until Kagami dunked it inside the ring. The momentum was fast that when the crowd went wild and Aomine just stood there under the ring, a bit dumbfounded until a prickle of pain on the inside of his hand woke him up. He grazed his ring finger.

His eyes glanced slowly at the scoreboard. 98-99.

He blinked. That was cruel, it was so close. He had lost to Kagami before but he felt lightheaded and almost in trance. His face pale and eyes distant. He could only stare at the ceiling for a while. He didn't even know if he should cry or get mad. There was also the bad news that the Cavs won't be representing the eastern conference. His teammates looked dejected, but most professionally took this with respect. Shaking the other team's hands and smiling profoundly. It's so _normal_. It's such a contrast comparing to him feeling like his world collapsed and reformed at the same time. Lucky no reporter caught him zoning out like this but the first person that came to him was the last person Aomine wanted to see.

"You're making that face again." Kagami walked closer. His shoulders sagged and face flushed. "It's the same face when you first lost during Winter Cup."

Aomine glanced at him and exhaled a laugh. He rubbed his face and shook his head. Well, he had seen it coming. "Fucking hell... I lost, dumbass." It still hurts, he hoped he could get over it when Kagami rejected him again because he was a masochist dumbass who wanted to take it up a notch.

Kagami raised his hand, going for a handshake. That pretty long slender hand. The very bare ring finger. "Damn, didn't know it had the same sentiment until now," he looked down, tucking his chin in shyness. "I'll play you again, don't worry."

Aomine took it, visibly holding himself back from pulling him in an embrace. "You won."

Kagami nodded slowly, "can we talk about that later? You know your way to Kuroko's hotel, right? I don't know how long I might have to stay here so go eat dinner without me."

Aomine squeezed the hand he held as Kagami glanced up. "okay," when Kagami turned, Aomine pulled him in on an embrace. Kagami tensed but melted once he feels the audible exhale on his shoulder. He also followed, slowly propping his chin on his boyfriend's shoulder. Aomine patted his back and let go, used to playing this 'friendly' act.

When Kagami turned back, all the other Bull players that watched them immediately pulled him in an embrace, lifting him and ruffling his hair. Aomine watched at the burst of joy contorted on his face. He felt his chest tightened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone who is wondering what Kuroko meant about irony, Kagami's first name is Taiga and Fujimaki Tadatoshi wrote his name like this 大我 which means 大 (tai) + 我 (ga) = big ego. He meant despite his name, he was actually not self-centered and tends to think about others more than himself like in the Kagahimu arc.


	8. eight.

"Oh no you don't, we're not going anywhere, man. We have to go back soon."

Nate's vice grip around his wrist made Daiki sneer in anger. "Fucking let go!"

People swarmed the hallway, journalist and media reporter cornered their team as they barely made it to the locker room. Daiki was about to slip past the back and skip whatever bullshit waiting for him but he wanted to get out of there. He wanted to see Tetsu, he wanted to run away to the end of the city, somewhere else just to forget about their whole bet. He was surprised there was anger that he felt towards Taiga, at his calm demeanor, at the millisecond warmth when he tensed and melted into his embrace. Why was he so calm? Couldn't he understand what Daiki wanted to say? What does everything Daiki had done mean for him to just shrug off this whole thing? He shivered.

"Hey, hey, breathe, Daiki... breathe."

He is too nice, he is too nice. Nate pushed him inside their locker room, leaving Daiki at the corner of the room where his items were. Daiki wanted to vomit. Too many sounds, too bright lights. He swallowed empty bile. He didn't get his water bottle but he immediately opened his phone, finding several notifications from Kuroko. Before he opened them, a hand shot up to shove his water bottle and another pushing him to his chair. Daiki dropped his hand and took the water bottle. He drank a heaping amount. Dropping his head as he watched his hand tremble. He closed his eyes. He couldn't think.

He inhaled deeply, despite the uncomfortable cold air, the obnoxious artificial smell from the air freshener, or the pungent smell of sweat mingling. He exhaled until his shoulders relax, strings on his neck loosened. He breathed deeply for about fifteen times until he shivered slightly. As he finally calmed down, he opened his eyes to refocus on his surrounding. Nate was nowhere to be seen but the next time he turned, he already changed his clothes.

"Was it because of your boy?" Nate started, despite knowing the frown on Daiki's face, "You don't have to be in a hurry when he's gonna be busy with the interview. " he crouched in front of him and spoke in a gentler tone. "you good? Should we call someone? At least we should get you iced before you go."

Daiki pulled his still trembling hands into fists, shaking his head. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you there are friends from Tokyo staying in Chicago for a few days. Can you tell the coach and the others for me? I've mentioned it before to coach but just in case. Let me--shower, not getting in the cryo tonight. Not in the mood to meet anyone, especially the media."

"Oh, c'mon! you played throughout the whole game." Daiki ignored him as he stood up, taking out all his clothes and proceed to hurry to the joint shower, "how many tag lines of Daiki Aomine skipping interview again? Fine, as long as you don't pull a muscle, alright?!"

Honestly, I don't give a fuck. Daiki changed and answered Kuroko's messages on the way. But a call from another old middle school teammate popped.

"Kise. Where are you?"

"Aominecchi...!!! Did you finally get out?"

Aomine winced as he power walked to the opposite side of the hall, where there was a small corner for a staff-only room to the elevator. "Yeah, I'm currently at the left-wing near the east atrium, reporters everywhere. You guys still in the arena?"

"We're underground, right in the VIP section. A-4. You know Akashicchi's car, though, right? I sent you the picture last night. The driver's waiting outside. You have to hurry, someone spotted me in the crowd so my face is currently spiral around SNS. Ugh, and I was looking forward to spending my private schedule--" Aomine ignored the blond as half of the conversation rambling were muddled by the poor signal as he went down and down. But as he stepped out of the elevator, his stomach churned. "Did you bring Kagamicchi?"

"...no." He said quietly as the evening air blew past him. The whole section was private. It's quiet and though not empty, barely have people around. He breathed. "He said I should eat dinner without him since he still has things to do."

"Oh..." He was almost there, "wanna grab dinner, then?"

"No."

He saw a tall man with a dark purple dress shirt and black pants standing behind a black car. The windows were tinted but he could make out the light from the inside. He hung up as Kise's voice died down as he muttered, "ugh. He's in a bad mood, someone--"

More like I just got a panic attack, He opened the back door before Akashi's driver could move and frowned as he saw his friends were passing around takeout food, Kuroko sitting in the middle slurping a drink of what Aomine could guess Vanilla shake. He moved the items beside Kuroko with a huff and shoved his body inside. He winced as his tired body finally flopped to something soft. "Tch, what is this crowd."

The car smelled like sandalwood and greasy food, but Akashi seemed to look unbothered, sitting on the passenger seat while munching on a fry. The image was so alien to him, he had to avert his gaze. Kuroko put a paper bag on his lap, it smelled like... he opened them, chicken nuggets. Aomine, embarrassingly, could feel his mouth water. "The same crowd that's going to take care of you. Here, Aomine-kun. We didn't want to eat much because we know we'll eat dinner together, so don't be upset, please."

Aomine could feel his neck prickle in heat and he looked away. Akashi was looking back at him with a cool smile as the car moved. "I assume you don't miss us, Aomine?"

A laugh started from the backseat where Kise who cramped his tall body in the small space. He was wearing a white dress shirt and smelled like fresh squash smiled teasingly. "God he doesn't change, huh," as he propped his arms on the headrest of Aomine's seat, Aomine noticed the light make up he adorned. Lips slightly glossy and eyelids shadowed by earthy shade blending with his skin tone. But he didn't miss the bags under his eyes that weren't hidden by concealer this time. "Oh, but he does, look at that buzz cut!"

"It made him look neater, I suppose."

"Hah, he has to, what would Momocchi thinks about him already being a celebrity and still acts and looks like a bum." Kise's hand patted his shoulder a few times.

"Oh, fuck off..." he muttered lowly, he popped three nuggets at the same time. "I'm a fucking idiot."

Kise choked back a laugh when he was about to drink his water, "Because you lost? I thought you don't like getting mentioned when you lost!"

Akashi butted in, "I honestly enjoyed the game despite everything. You can still win for next year's playoff."

"I am and I know that! It's not about that!" Aomine slumped further on his seat, cringing at his aching legs cramped between the seats. He could feel eyes lingering on his sulking form but he sighed, "You can tell them, Tetsu."

"Aomine-kun..." Kuroko who was quiet the whole time finally opened up, with an unsure voice explaining about the bet whilst Kise cursed and whined how much of an idiot he was. He knew, he fucked up, he couldn't imagine how much he'll fuck up knowing their inner circle was practically from the same people.

"What was I supposed to do? That idiot won't listen even if I shove it on his face." The inside of the car went quiet saved from the sound of the vehicle and the air conditioner. Aomine rubbed his face in exhaustion. "AH, haven't gotten my body iced." He muttered quietly. Kise reached his fingers on his temple, massaging it lightly. "What...?"

"Nothing, lay down then, prop that seat back..." he calmly said. He scooted more to Kuroko's back as Aomine did just that. His smile light and lack the teasing snark, "I just thought, that must be how it is." Aomine raised a brow as he looked up. "I can't get you because I never liked getting tied in any relationship but somehow I get it when I'm giving a chance to a few... special people."

"Wait, you're seeing someone...?" Kise's lips wobble as he bit his laugh. He also propped his arms to the side of the window and laid his back. His face turned to the window.

"Aaah... Aominecchi is so out of touch."

Aomine wanted to pry further but Kise wouldn't say a word. Kuroko patted him on the thigh telling him to rest while the car glided smoothly on the highway. He knew he pouted but as his eyes closed and sleep took over, he could feel a hand smoothed the crease of his temple and Akashi's hushed tone as he told Kuroko to cover him with a jacket. He wondered until when all of this lasted.

When he woke up, they were in another basement parking lot, the bright light from the small lamp inside the car woke him up and Kise's loud noise when he hauled his body out of the seat. Aomine could hear Kise's laugh echoing in the empty parking lot and sounds of items ruffling and moving. He sat up when his car door opened and Akashi's driver smiled thinly. Aomine took his bag and Akashi's jacket on his arms, squinting as the blonde slung an arm around his blue-haired friend, "so we just checked in last night, transit to LAX. Akashicchi actually still has work to do so he met a client this morning and left us sightseeing. Aominecchi, you're always meeting Kagamicchi after a game right? What takeout you two usually get?"

The four of them entered the guest elevator. Aomine yawned, feeling his whole body heavy. Kuroko rested his back on the mirror wall of the elevator, "can we get anything Asian? Akashi-kun, do you want something?"

Aomine raised a brow, turning to the quiet redhead. "We usually just order fast food. I have Ubereats but you guys should decide it, I'm too tired to pick anything."

"I also have it, it's fine. I think by the few times I've visited the states I'm used to eating any food here." Aomine watched as his ex-captain smiled and tapped his phone, wondering where the calm demeanor came from, wondering since when, wondering how had he not witness any of his peers mellowed down and settled in. Aomine felt his heartstrings vibrated. He looked around to find Kise looking at him. Half of his face hidden under a black mask. His big curious eyes watching him closely. He moved closer.

"Aominecchi, not wanting to pry but, what do you think'll happen to Kagamicchi after this?"

"I don't know, we haven't talk since I proposed. It's my fault, I hadn't, maybe I can help him further." Aomine sighed, following Akashi as he and Kuroko led the two.

"It's a bit... worrisome but that's how workplace is, you know. I'm still not allowed to date until my contract with Apex finished. One of my coworker got rejected by multiple companies when he come out, you know Watanabe Rei, right? But, if there is the worst scenario, I remember Kagamicchi teaches middle schoolers, right? Does he still do that?" They entered a room with a double bed and the connecting door opened wide, showing a queen bed. Kise went to the queen bed as Aomine followed, flopping on the bed as Kise shrieked. The blond dared to push him off the bed, his strength on par with the athlete. "Take your dirty clothes and shoes off!"

"Fuck. Fine!" Aomine hurriedly took off his shirt and pants and laid on his stomach. He hid his face on the pillow. Kise threw him a t-shirt and sweatpants which Aomine begrudgingly wore while still laying on the bed. "Yeah. Only during the preseason. We don't lose our job that easily.. I think. Kagami's an exceptional guy and we were suppose to be a restricted free agent after we got out of the rookie status. Kagami could've change teams when he had the chance." he groaned as he felt his aching body turned. Kise was sitting on a chair near the balcony glass door, his hands wave at Kuroko when he informed them of the food they picked. On the table next was a bottle of wine where he took from the fridge.

"I see. But there is something else, isn't it?"

"Burnout. An athlete retires early because of three main things. No games, no health, and no motivation. It's not that I doubted Kagami to breakdown that easily but the mental toll of dealing with someone toxic that pushes him without his will. He almost got his Achilles tendon ripped and it's not during the game, he sat him for three quarters and bet on me he'll do it again in the future if he did so much as pissed him. Until bones popped out of your legs, don't stop working those muscles. That's fucked up. I don't want to hear those words spoken to him."

Kise sipped his drink as he hummed, smiling to himself. "Aah... now I sort of miss him. He's such a nag even when he's far away from me."

Aomine glared at him. 

"You're still curious aren't you?" he smiled a Cheshire Cat grin, shrugging his bangs out of his face. Aomine watched as he cracked the cork open. Aomine thought about the times where he contacted him the most out of the rest of the goons during uni because, well, uni struggles. Murasakibara went to culinary school and Akashi and Midorima were too busy to handle his shit and it left Kise, who chose liberal arts and came on and off class because of his part-time that became less like part-time. They both were on the same boat when it came to academics. Where Aomine struggled with his basketball career, Kise struggled with his acting and more modeling.

He could even dare to say Kise was also his best friend.

"You stopped dating but you've been hooking up with a bunch of people during uni, was it because you already had someone?"

Kise laughed, his head thrown back. "Oh my god, what do you think of me, huh? I was the one who's always getting cheated on. We were never a thing but it does feel like I've seen him before since a long time ago. He knew my habit but I stopped when I realized my feelings and confessed to him."

"What??"

Kise only smiled at his glass flute, absentmindedly swinging the liquid. Aomine turned on his back and stretched. "You'll find out sooner or later, but yeah, sometimes I wonder if we've already been dating since way back then. Though, it could also be because I mistook platonic affection with romantic."

"It's so weird coming from you," Aomine muttered, snuggling on the comforter like a cat. But I sort of understand, he thought. "Wait, so you've talked about him before with me?"

"Yes, haha! Even you didn't expect it right? I didn't think it was like that too. To be fair I came out around the same time as you. Unlike Kagamicchi and Himuro-san, we don't have someone that gets us." Kise put the glass on the table, looking right at him. Aomine squinted at his face, trying to remember names and faces out of the ones Kise had told him from his sexapades. Kise smiled with a little bit of vulnerability shown. "After everything, though, I realized I don't need a definition of what we are, Aominecchi. We don't even date like other people do."

Aomine blinked. Feeling familiar with the words. He opened his mouth carefully, "what if, what if he's insecure because he doesn't know if you two are on the same page."

"We are on the same page." He gave Aomine a flute when he sat up, "Don't worry, I'm also learning from you since we're also in a long-distance relationship and well, we both have our baggage. I'm not taking this lightly, but I don't want to scare him. I've told him that I love him and he said he loves me back. So I thought, what more do we need."

Aomine tightened his lips, drinking on his whiskey and winced at the bittersweet taste. His lips mulled with objection but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Not for Kise's sake, but for his. Maybe it wasn't that hard.

He was about to open his mouth but there was a knock on the Akashi and Kuroko's room. Someone opened the door and Kagami's voice filled the room, Kuroko talking in a smaller voice and a sound of rustling as the two embraced tightly. Aomine couldn't see from his spot, but Kise already stood up. Kagami was laughing still has Kuroko on one arm as the smaller man laughed lightly and shrugged him off.

"Akashi! When did you guys arrive? I heard Kise is here and helped with the plane tickets?" Akashi made an 'oof' as Kagami must've embraced him too, the tallest out of the trio laughed some more.

Kise opened the connecting door wider, showing Aomine who was still sitting on his bed, "Kagamicchiii...!!" Aomine watched as Akashi gave the softest grin he had seen in a while and Kise flung himself on Kagami's arms, who complained about his weight. "Kasamatsu-san helped us, he's our captain until next flight, actually. 'Friendship' discount...."

"Why do you--even need a discount? Aah, Kise, you're heavy and I'm really tired!" Aomine stood up quietly, realizing how much closer Kagami had gotten to his old-time friends. It made him stood awkward, unsure if he should approach or let one of them grabbed him and embarrassingly made them make up. "Is he still here? At least we should ask him to come with us tomorrow?"

"He's already back tonight, don't worry. Let's focus on our winner here...! Congratulations!" the others cheered in their quiet deadpan, but Kagami still smiled widely his cheeks reddened a bit. He looked away only to find Aomine standing awkwardly. Aomine widened his eyes as Kagami hurriedly walked closer.

"Have you had dinner? I heard you weren't in the cryo chamber, why? People were looking for you," somehow that irked him. Aomine glared at him and took his flute with him, opening Kise's balcony door, leaving Kagami stunned and the room quiet.

Aomine couldn't hear clearly but he could hear mumbled conversations, forcing his eyes to watch as the hot night polluted air distracted the muddled brain. He took a sip of his wine as the balcony door slid open. He dropped his flute on the small round table.

The first thing that Aomine noticed was his scent. car freshener and the bergamot-chamomile soap bar he's been using lately. Then he felt the warm hand on his arm, awkward and fleeting but so very Kagami. Kagami's height was only two cm shorter than him, was always been like that since high school and yet he still tried to prop his head on his shoulder as they both stood. It broke Aomine's resistance, it made him turn his head to watch those thick furrowed brows and pinched look concentrating.

He sighed, feeling Kagami tensed. "Just cut to the chase, Taiga."

"...what do you mean...?" his voice quiver and low, the hand on his arm now gripping his sleeve. "I don't want you thinking just because I won I'm breaking up with you."

"Then what do you want?" Aomine turned his body slowly, mirroring the same pinched expression as Kagami raised his head. "Do you really believe that I ever doubted your play? One time you gotten in trouble because your racist coach is comparing me to him and then finding out that you thought that I'm too good for you to beat. What do you think how I feel?" He clenched both of Kagami's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Who's breached the second level of the zone? Who finally beat me for the first time? Who made me realize I can go to the state to pursue further? When I thought after high school I should just drop this damned sport." Aomine could feel heat prickling at the edge of his eyes but he kept his voice level. "Tell me what you want but I can't give you the few years you've doubted yourself because you think I'm better."

"Daiki, no..." Taiga crept closer, the look of urgency rose as his eyes shone in revelation. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that. Shit, I hurt you," he laid his forehead to Aomine's. They stayed like that, forgetting three pairs of eyes watching them shamelessly from the inside of the hotel room. Stayed like that even when Kise yelled, 'food is here!' and stayed until Kagami sniffled.

Aomine furrowed his brows, letting go as Kagami looked down with an angry look, his eyes glossy. "I love you, baby," Aomine whispered. "...I've thought about letting it go. Stay with the team, stay here. Just please don't hurt yourself."

"...thank you," Kagami choked, inhaled a shaky breath, and willed his face to calm down. "I-I know you love me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry when I said that. I understand now."

"s fine," Aomine muttered, wrapping his arms around Kagami's waist, his eyes drooped.

"We're not getting married."

"...Okay."

"I'm staying. Don't worry about the case. Someone from the team, Jaden, showed me a screenshot of the coach calling him... slurs and threatening to sue him after he found out about him buying his way to coach us. It's a mess but that means I got help. Everyone's rooting for me and I'm taking training easy. I'm gonna finish my contract... I can't abandon the kids, you know. They are already comfortable with him and I barely have time, anyway, to teach them." Aomine stared, as Kagami's voice drawled and softened, his eyes looking anywhere but Aomine's piercing blue gaze. Aomine took in everything about the man in front of him and felt intoxicated by the hypersensitivity. "But you might want to teach me everything about your place. I want--I won't be renewing my contract. I'm gonna move to your place."

Aomine drank his words like water. His heart lit up and eyes widened. "Are you serious...?"

Kagami looked up and nodded firmly, "I... also want to be with you. You're right, we've been apart long enough. It's time, right? But can you wait for another year?"

Aomine sucked in a breath, feeling his face cracking a wide grin. "What the fuck of course! Two years, three years, four might drive me crazy but, fuck, Taiga, fuck--" he knew Kagami hated this but he couldn't stop himself from lifting the man and spinning him as he embraced tightly, burying his face on the warm neck and ignoring the yelp. "Fuck, I love you, fuck, let me kiss you--"

He looked up to Kagami's face, scrunched up, and lips wobbly, but before he said a word, Kagami smooshed their lips together. Aomine felt his chest full, the heartstrings tugging and breaking, that good pain when he was overwhelmed. He was laughing at the dry lips, at the quiet sob that turned audible when Aomine let go, prying the arms that hid the pretty flushed face. Kagami was wincing when he said, "I love you too, I'm so happy you stay with me this long..."

"Me too. Let's stay longer, yeah...? Do you want to."

"Of course! As long I play, we will always be together... rival or not." Aomine smiled proudly, making Kagami gripped his collar and gave his lips another peck, "...I'm sorry I rejected you. Can I see the ring? I'm sorry you went all the way to commission this."

Aomine raised his brow, shrugging his shoulder, he carefully took the box from his pocket, opened it slowly. "Ah, not really. I asked Nate one day out of the blue when I bought you your shoes and I just asked them whatever designed popped on my head," he said that despite the sheepish look he gave Taiga. He took it out and his smile widened as Taiga's eyes lit up and pointer finger traced lightly on the burger design. The inside was carved with 大我 (Taiga) instead of Daiki's original idea.

A private warm smile adorned Kagami's face, "let me just--" Aomine crumpled the ring on his fist and swung his arm to the outer part of the balcony.

"NOOO...!!!" Kagami gripped the railing harshly as his body moved forward, watching as the small object flung out to the middle of nowhere, engulfed by the darkness. "What are you doing?! I said I'm sorrryy...!!"

"Yeah, I know, heh..." Aomine raised both of his hands and open his palms, a golden band dangled on his right pinky finger. "That was a... cork," he gave a lopsided smile as Kagami's jaw dropped.

Kagami furrowed his brows and glared, "you asshole!" he gripped his collar with both fists and Aomine sighed as the old Kagami was back. "I was about to tell you to keep it! Thought of it as us being unofficial fiancés. We can settle that as we go, you just have to troll me now of all times...!"

"But look how fired up you are now! I hate seeing you all upset and mellow. Come on now, I'm hungry. Let's eat." Kagami sighed and rolled his eyes, letting Aomine dragged him inside the room where three faces, who were stuffing their faces with seasoned fried chicken, looking at them with teasing eyes. At some point, Aomine shoved his sauce stained lips on Kagami's redden ear, "fiancé, huh? Why don't we kick Kise out of this room and use this room to celebrate your win, huh?"

Akashi choked on his rice as Kise threw a packet of mayonnaise at him while protesting. "I'll let you do the same when you finally banged that guy you told me," Aomine barked a laugh.

"What guy?!" Kagami gaped at the blond, which was hiding his smug chuckle behind his drum stick.

"You really think I haven't bang him?"

Kuroko rolled his eyes at the same as Aomine muttering, "cheeky bastard."

"Ever heard of the Mile High Club?"

Aomine gagged the same time as Kagami groaned about public indecency but a second went by and something finally dawned upon them. "WHAT?!"

.

* * *

.

Since Kagami was Himuro's man of honor, he was assigned a makeup artist and a stylist that worked on him since six am. Aomine was nowhere to be found as soon as they reached the venue, but Momoi arrived yesterday night and he wanted to do his make up on his own, so Kagami let him go. The next time Kagami met him was in the banquet where he sneaked a custard on his suit pocket. He had his eyes accentuated and short hair gelled back. His lips were also glossed but it was gone by the time he took another bite and left crumbs on his lips.

The other Miracles were on the front stage, practicing their speeches, or just chatting. He could hear Alex's booming voice ordering the staff to perfect their decor. The semi-open venue faced right in front of the Malibu beach and the morning breeze swept past his face. The salty air and the distant sounds of the waves always gave him the feeling of home. He walked close to his lover, tsk-ing.

"You got crumbs on your suit, stop eating, we're gonna eat eventually," he scolded.

Aomine only put his hands on his waist, maybe wiping some of the custard or just holding him. Kagami found himself endeared as he traced the back of the lapels of Aomine's black suit. It matched with the other Miracles, while Kagami wore a light grey. "Oh, wow, haven't seen you with those bangs pushed back," he didn't hide the way he licked his lips and wiggled his brows.

Kagami grinned, "you like?"

"Hell yeah, and that makeup looks good on you, your eyes look even brighter," Kagami averted his eyes despite the redden ears. Kagami wanted to kiss him but was he going to ruin his lips? Ah, maybe Momoi bought her own lip gloss or those tinted lip balm so he could reapply it again. He just needs to look fresh, right?

"Ahem."

The beautiful woman who was already reaching her mid-30, smiled exasperatedly as she propped a hand on her hips. She shrugged her long curled blonde hair, "sorry to bother you two but the other boys are waiting for you, Daiki."

"You're not, we're also ready..." Kagami retorted, detaching himself away. Aomine stretched and checked his watch.

"You know, if people didn't know, they might mistake you two as the grooms instead. Don't tell your brother, though."

Kagami could feel his neck prickle and he heard Aomine laugh dryly. He watched from the corner of his eyes as he tilted his head probably thinking Kagami wouldn't like the comment. But Kagami shrugged at his mentor, fiddling with his boutonniere just to hid the shyness. "Well, tell him to be careful, cause we might steal the show," he half-muttered.

Aomine whipped his head at the same time as Alex's smile bloomed. She pushed her designer glasses. "I'll let you two slide just for today because I can't even handle one baby getting married, but. When you two are ready, I have to be the one who knows first!"

"I'm not a baby!" Kagami yelled, at the same time as Kise calling Aomine's name. "But of course I will."

Alex let them go as Aomine hesitantly turned his body at Kagami, walking backward slowly. His mouth opened but no words come out and as he heard a second call, he shook his head and smiled. He mouthed something that made him shudder, "thank you."

end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! This was already in Wattpad but I thought I might have to back up my works too here with what happened last week. Also, two days there will be Aokaga Month and though I won't be following any challenge or post anything everyday, but I will try to be more active and tag anything work regarding of aokaga as AokagaMonth.
> 
> A little note, though this is just some trivia:
> 
> \- There is this scene where Kise spoke about him coming out (as bisexual) around the same time as Aomine (who is bisexual too) and he said Kagami and Himuro came out earlier than all of them and has 'someone that understood them'. What I meant was that I headcanon Alex as a lesbian and since she had been open about it ("I only kiss girls"), I figured the rest of the Miracles also knew. (also implying she has been close to the Miracles. Alex as Miracles' lesbian mom is such a nice headcanon ;_;)
> 
> \- Murasakibara came out (as gay) when he dated Himuro during high school
> 
> \- I realized after I wrote this chapter that I really want to explore Aokise's broship later, maybe in another fic or AU. This fic has made me miss KNB even more
> 
> Twitter: @maigozen  
> Tumblr: maigozen.tumblr.com


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